What is Frictional Force?

The frictional force is the force created when two surfaces come into touch with each other and slide against each other. These forces are mostly influenced by the surface roughness and the amount of force required when they are combined. The volume of frictional force is affected by the angle and position of the object. The forces of attraction are the primary cause of friction between objects.

The frictional force between two surfaces always acts in opposition to the applied force, as shown in the figure above. The surface’s texture, the amount of force pushing them together, the position of the object, the angle of the force applied, etc. are some factors that have a big impact on the frictional force. The force of friction is equal to the mass of the thing when it is flat against another object. When we push an object up against the surface of another object, the frictional force increases and exceeds the weight of the pushed object.

What is Frictional Force?

Frictional Force or Force of Friction is the opposing force when two surfaces come in contact with each other to move either in the same direction or in opposite directions. As friction is a force that opposes or resists the motion of an object that comes in contact and slides against each other. Hence, the frictional force is a Contact Force. Friction is a force that always opposes motion. The frictional forces are majorly affected by the texture of the surface of the objects that came in contact with each other and the amount of force exerted on them. 

Table of Content

  • What is Frictional Force?
  • Frictional Force Formula
  • Calculation of Frictional Force
  • Factors Affecting Frictional Force
  • Types of Frictional Forces
  • Dry Friction
  • Fluid Friction 
  • Frictional Force Examples

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What is Frictional Force?

The frictional force is the force created when two surfaces come into touch with each other and slide against each other. These forces are mostly influenced by the surface roughness and the amount of force required when they are combined. The volume of frictional force is affected by the angle and position of the object. The forces of attraction are the primary cause of friction between objects....

Frictional Force Formula

The maximum frictional force applied on an object by a surface can be easily calculated by the following formula:...

Calculation of Frictional Force

There are three steps involved in the process of calculating the force of friction i.e.,...

Factors Affecting Frictional Force

The magnitude of the frictional force depends on the following factors listed below:...

Types of Frictional Forces

The following are the two major types of frictional forces, based on the type of material in contact, that are:...

Dry Friction

When two solid bodies come into contact, both when they are moving (kinetic friction) and when they are not, there is a reaction known as Dry friction (static friction)....

Fluid Friction

A substance that can flow and can adopt the shape of the container in which it is kept is called a fluid. Fluid friction is the term for the resistance that a liquid or gas offers to a moving object. Hence, in simple words, the frictional force exerted by fluids is called the fluid friction....

Frictional Force Examples

Frictional Forces are an essential part of our daily life without these we can’t even able to walk properly. Some of these different real-life examples of different types of frictional force  experiences are as follows:...

Solved Problems on Frictional Force

Problem 1: A box of mass 5 kg is being pushed along a horizontal surface with a force of 20 N. The coefficient of friction between the box and the surface is 0.2. Calculate the frictional force acting on the box....

Practice Problems on Frictional Force

1. A 1000 kg car is parked on a flat road. If the coefficient of static friction between the tires and the road is 0.75, what is the maximum force that can be applied horizontally to the car before it starts to move?...

FAQs on Frictional Force

1. What is Frictional Force?...