thesis

How does kinetic friction depend on the contact surface area of a solid?

Abstract

This essay studies the friction phenomenon to answer the question: “how does kinetic friction depend on the contact surface area of a solid?” The object of research, kinetic friction, has been modified from the sole term “friction” to narrow down the scope of investigation and get accurate results about the factor investigated. Since it is a mechanical subject and it is rather practical to build a setup, an experimental approach is chosen to investigate the topic. The experiment is done in several steps by changing the setup which is a block released from an inclined plane. The angle, distance and mass of the solid is changed for blocks with five different surface areas and the acceleration is measured. Depending on the theoretical correlations between the kinetic friction and the distance, mass and angle of the position of the solid, data for five different surface areas have been obtained. According to data and graphs, it is seen that, there is no significant relationship between the surface area and the kinetic friction. My hypothesis is concluded to be wrong, however, theoretical works are in coherence with the result of the experiment. Thus, the experiment is done without major errors and the aim is attained

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