Sliding & Friction Lab Report

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Kimberly Cuthbert-Holmes                                                        March 16, 2008

St. Thomas Aquinas                                                        Mrs. Guzas

Science – Lab Report

  1. Introduction

In this lab, Shannon and I were investigating the affect of different materials on the force of friction.  Our question was how do different sliding surfaces affect the friction of objects.  The physical property of different surfaces affects the amount of friction that results when they encounter each other.  The greater the friction force between the two surfaces, the greater the force needed to cause motion.  With this being said, I think the smoother the surface, the less friction the surfaces will have when they are in contact, causing the object to move quicker.

This experiment can be applied to a real-life situation.  The friction between the tires of your automobile and the road determines your speed.  Depending on the weather conditions or the material the road is made of, can affect your speed.  When it is raining, your car tends to go faster because you have a layer of water lubricant under your tires.  Your car can move faster because less force is needed for the car to move.  On the hand, when you are driving on a gravel road, you need greater force to cause motion because the surface is not smooth as asphalt paved road, which is flat.

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There are three different types of variables in this experiment.  The independent variables in this experiment are the surface area, the block material, the sliding surface, and the mass of the block.  The controlled variables in the experiment are the sliding surface, the block mass, and the surface area.  Lastly, the dependent variable is the force of friction.

  1. Materials and Methods

In preparation for doing our experiment, we gathered the following materials: Styrofoam, granite, felt, construction paper, tabletop surface, tape, a pen dowel, a plastic cup, string, a paperclip, stopwatch, washers, and a block of wood. ...

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