Reibungszahl

Principle

1. Using a friction block, the students should establish that the frictional force is independent of the surface area.
2. For a constant surface area the students should vary the mass of the friction block and measure the frictional force F_r in each case.
   A graph of these results should then be investigated, showing clearly the proportionality between frictional force and weight (force). Finally, the students should also calculate the coefficient of friction, μ, from the slope of the straight line.

Task

Does friction change under load?

In this experiment you will investigate whether the frictional force depends on the surface size, and whether it depends on the load (i.e. the mass).