Coefficient of friction

Principle

Using a friction block, the students should establish that the frictional force is independent of the surface area.
For a constant surface area the students should vary the mass of the friction block and measure the frictional force Fr in each case. A graph of these results should then be investigated, showing clearly the proportionality between frictional force and weight (force). Finally, the students should also calculate the coefficient of friction, μ, from the slope of the straight line.

Benefits

• Student-suitable experiment descriptions with reports available