Calculating Friction Force for Sliding Book

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In summary, the conversation discusses a physics problem involving a book on a table. The magnitude of the force that stops the book is determined using the book's mass and acceleration. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the book and the table is also calculated. The conversation also considers whether a heavier book would slide the same distance if released at the same speed, and explains that this is due to the relationship between friction force and object mass.
  • #1
Fusilli_Jerry89
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I don't know if anyone solves physics problems here, but I havn't done this in over a year and can't concentrate right now so I need help.

A 1.2 kg book is given a shove at 2.0 m/s. It slides across the table coming to a stop ).67 metres later. a) what is the magnitude of the force that stops the book? b) What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the book and table and c) If released at the same speed, would a heavier book slide the same distance? Explain

for C i think yes because even though there is more force moving, for friction will be acting against it.
for b I got 0.3 by dividing the acceleration(-3.0) by (-9.8), I am unsure how to get a though.
 
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  • #2
Not 100% sure but i think this is how its done

for part a) first calculate the acceleration the book undergoes
which i get to equal -2.99 m/s^2. The only forces acting on the object is the force of friction whereas gravitational force and normal force cancel out. so Ff = mass * (acceleration) thus (1.2) * (2.99) = 3.59 N
 
  • #3
Fusilli_Jerry89 said:
A 1.2 kg book is given a shove at 2.0 m/s. It slides across the table coming to a stop ).67 metres later. a) what is the magnitude of the force that stops the book?
a) You can use energy. What is the kinetic energy of the book after being shoved and traveling at 2.0 m/sec? All of that energy is used doing friction work (ie. KE = friction force x distance).

Or you can simply find the rate of deceleration and multiply by the mass. Your answer of 3.0 m/sec^2 for deceleration is correct.

b) What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the book and table.
for b I got 0.3 by dividing the acceleration(-3.0) by (-9.8), I am unsure how to get a though
b) You know the magnitude of the friction force from a). How is this force related to the normal force (mg) and the coefficient of kinetic friction [itex]\mu_k[/itex]?
and c) If released at the same speed, would a heavier book slide the same distance? Explain

for C i think yes because even though there is more force moving, for friction will be acting against it.
You have to explain this. You need to show that if the force of friction is proportional to the object's mass, the stopping distance for objects of different mass will be the same. Is the friction force proportional to the object's mass? Why?

AM
 
  • #4
quickslant said:
Not 100% sure but i think this is how its done

for part a) first calculate the acceleration the book undergoes
which i get to equal -2.99 m/s^2. The only forces acting on the object is the force of friction whereas gravitational force and normal force cancel out. so Ff = mass * (acceleration) thus (1.2) * (2.99) = 3.59 N

This is right. To calculate the acceleration that he got use v^2 = v0^2 + 2a(x-x0). You know v=2.0 m/s v0 = 0 (initially at rest, the book had to be pushed), a = what you are solving for, and x = 0.67 m x0 = 0. So... a = ?. Then use the equation that he mentioned and you got the force.
 

FAQ: Calculating Friction Force for Sliding Book

What is friction?

Friction is the force that resists the motion of an object when it comes into contact with another object. It is caused by the microscopic irregularities on the surface of objects rubbing against each other.

How is friction measured?

Friction is typically measured using a device called a tribometer, which measures the force required to move an object across a surface. The unit of measurement for friction is the coefficient of friction, which is a dimensionless number.

What factors affect friction?

The amount of friction between two surfaces is affected by several factors, including the roughness of the surfaces, the weight of the objects, and the type of material the objects are made of. Friction can also be affected by the presence of lubricants or temperature changes.

How does friction affect motion?

Friction can both help and hinder motion. In some cases, friction provides the necessary force to propel an object forward (such as in car tires on a road). However, in other cases, friction can slow down or stop motion, such as when walking on a slippery surface.

How can friction be reduced?

There are several ways to reduce friction, including using lubricants like oil or grease, polishing surfaces to make them smoother, and using materials with lower coefficients of friction. In some cases, reducing the weight of an object can also decrease the amount of friction it experiences.

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