We investigate the effects of dry, sliding friction between a felt-covered wood block and a wooden table. By measuring the applied force and the acceleration of the block, we experimentally determine the force of kinetic friction and find that it is constant when the applied force is larger than a terminal frictional force However, we also find that the block continues to move without decelerating when the applied force is less than This strange behavior contradicts the common notion that the force of kinetic friction is constant and depends only on the normal force.
Topics
Friction
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© 1999 American Association of Physics Teachers.
1999
American Association of Physics Teachers
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