Friction is the force generated between two rough surfaces when they come into contact.
More about friction
Friction is generated due to imperfections, microscopic, between surfaces in contact. This force is the opposite of sliding. It is a very important aspect in the field of engineering.
It is thanks to friction that we can both perform many everyday activities more easily and carry out others with greater ease. In this article we are going to present a series of advantages and disadvantages about friction force.
Advantages over friction:
- Walking. Thanks to friction we can walk or run normally. In areas with low friction, such as icy surfaces, a task as simple as walking becomes costly.
- Walking.
- Meteorology. Meteorologists have found that friction helps to slow down wind speeds, creating a milder environment.
- Writing. Friction makes writing possible, since when a pencil is used the friction causes the lead to stay on the paper.
- Protection against metorites. The friction produced by the atmosphere causes the metoros that impact on the atmosphere to become layers of dust.
- Holding objects. The friction of our skin allows us to grip objects.
Disadvantages of friction:
- Overheating. It can generate small wounds on the skin. In addition, friction produces heat in machines, causing breakdowns in certain devices if they receive too much heat.
- Counteracts movement. It slows down the movement, which causes the need for more energy. This can mean, for example, additional fuel costs on a car journey.
- It Produces Noise. The cause of the annoying noise that many machines produce is friction.
- Wear. It produces the wear and tear of objects and materials exposed for a long time.
- Forest fires. Some forest fires have been caused by the friction of tree branches.