Lab 4 Friction PHY250L
Student Name: Annie Burns
Access Code (located on the underside of the lid of your lab kit): AC-8PYXXK
Lab Report Format Expectations
Utilize college level grammar and formatting when answering text based questions.
Report all equations in a proper mathematical format, with the correct signs and symbols.
Submissions with incomplete or improperly formatted responses may be rejected.
Pre-Lab Questions
1. This lab contains two different experiments that cover two different aspects of friction. In your
own words, describe both concepts and how each experiment demonstrates them.
The first experiment with the wooden block and inclined plane demonstrates friction by
showing how friction interacts with gravitational forces. By watching how the block slides, you
can observe the effects of friction of the speed and distance travelled, and how different factors
influence it. For the second experiment:The sled and varying masses experiment demonstrates
friction by showing how the frictional force between the sled and the surface increases with the
sled’s mass.
2. The normal force plays an important role when studying friction. Describe the relationship
between friction and the normal force.
The relationship between normal force and friction is directly proportional. This means that as
the normal force increases, the frictional force also increases, and vice versa.
EXPERIMENT 1: STATIC FRICTION AND MASS ON AN INCLINE PLANE
Introduction Questions
1. Explain, generally, what you will do for Experiment 1.
We will be using objects with different materials on an incline to calculate coeficcient of friction.
I will place the ramp on the table, placing wooden block in the middle of the ramp. I will increase
the angle of the ramp slowly.Once the block slides down, i will not increase ramp any more. I
will measure the angle.Repeat the steps for washer.
2. If the normal force only acts perpendicular to a surface, what happens to the magnitude of the
normal force on an object as the angle of the incline is increased?
As the angle of the incline increases, the magnitude of the normal force acting on an object
, Lab 4 Friction PHY250L
decreases. This happens because the normal force only acts perpendicular (normal) to the
surface, and as the incline angle increases, the weight of the object is distributed in a way that
reduces the component of the gravitational force acting perpendicular to the surface.
Student Name: Annie Burns
Access Code (located on the underside of the lid of your lab kit): AC-8PYXXK
Lab Report Format Expectations
Utilize college level grammar and formatting when answering text based questions.
Report all equations in a proper mathematical format, with the correct signs and symbols.
Submissions with incomplete or improperly formatted responses may be rejected.
Pre-Lab Questions
1. This lab contains two different experiments that cover two different aspects of friction. In your
own words, describe both concepts and how each experiment demonstrates them.
The first experiment with the wooden block and inclined plane demonstrates friction by
showing how friction interacts with gravitational forces. By watching how the block slides, you
can observe the effects of friction of the speed and distance travelled, and how different factors
influence it. For the second experiment:The sled and varying masses experiment demonstrates
friction by showing how the frictional force between the sled and the surface increases with the
sled’s mass.
2. The normal force plays an important role when studying friction. Describe the relationship
between friction and the normal force.
The relationship between normal force and friction is directly proportional. This means that as
the normal force increases, the frictional force also increases, and vice versa.
EXPERIMENT 1: STATIC FRICTION AND MASS ON AN INCLINE PLANE
Introduction Questions
1. Explain, generally, what you will do for Experiment 1.
We will be using objects with different materials on an incline to calculate coeficcient of friction.
I will place the ramp on the table, placing wooden block in the middle of the ramp. I will increase
the angle of the ramp slowly.Once the block slides down, i will not increase ramp any more. I
will measure the angle.Repeat the steps for washer.
2. If the normal force only acts perpendicular to a surface, what happens to the magnitude of the
normal force on an object as the angle of the incline is increased?
As the angle of the incline increases, the magnitude of the normal force acting on an object
, Lab 4 Friction PHY250L
decreases. This happens because the normal force only acts perpendicular (normal) to the
surface, and as the incline angle increases, the weight of the object is distributed in a way that
reduces the component of the gravitational force acting perpendicular to the surface.
