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Friction Graphs and Charts

  • 03-04-2011 2:58pm
    #1
    FooFighters
    Closed Accounts Posts: 163 ✭✭


    I'm doing a Physics Project for Junior Cert and I have to do bar charts and line graphs. The project is "To Investigate the factors that determine the force of friction between a wooden block and the surface on which it is resting".I need to know what goes and each axis for each of the charts and the graph.


Comments

  • #2
    fox65
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 144 ✭✭fox65


    A simple rule of thumb is ; what ever variable you control goes on the x (bottom) axis


  • #3
    gingafriend
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11 ✭gingafriend


    Hi,

    are you looking at Newtons Laws for the experiments? There are two types of friction co-efficient that you can look at, when the block is stationary and when it is in motion. When stationary, F(normal)=mg (as the block is only under acceleration of gravity=g and its mass=m) therefore, the frictional force, f= (co-eff of friction)*(mg).

    Maybe you are looking at slope, and the frictional co-efficient required to keep the block stationary on a slope? The frictional force would depend on the angle of the slope: f=(co-eff of friction)*mg cosine(angle) . Here the frictional force would increase with the angle, until the slope gets so steep that the block would slide down the slope. So if you were controlling the slope angle, that would go on the x-axis, and the frictional force would go on the y axis.

    Also when graphing, remember from maths: y=mx+c, the equation of a straight line. This might help you decide which variables go on which axis

    Hope this helps a little,or gives you some ideas


  • #4
    FooFighters
    Closed Accounts Posts: 163 ✭✭FooFighters


    gingafriend wrote: »
    Hi,

    are you looking at Newtons Laws for the experiments? There are two types of friction co-efficient that you can look at, when the block is stationary and when it is in motion. When stationary, F(normal)=mg (as the block is only under acceleration of gravity=g and its mass=m) therefore, the frictional force, f= (co-eff of friction)*(mg).

    Maybe you are looking at slope, and the frictional co-efficient required to keep the block stationary on a slope? The frictional force would depend on the angle of the slope: f=(co-eff of friction)*mg cosine(angle) . Here the frictional force would increase with the angle, until the slope gets so steep that the block would slide down the slope. So if you were controlling the slope angle, that would go on the x-axis, and the frictional force would go on the y axis.

    Also when graphing, remember from maths: y=mx+c, the equation of a straight line. This might help you decide which variables go on which axis

    Hope this helps a little,or gives you some ideas
    Okay I,ve done the results so all i need is a simple formula for the coefficient of friction and what i should put in my conclusion page?


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