News tagged with friction
Finnish researchers find explanation for sliding friction
Friction is a key phenomenon in applied physics, whose origin has been studied for centuries. Until now, it has been understood that mechanical wear-resistance and fluid lubrication affect friction, but the fundamental origin ...
May 29, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
0
A nanoclutch for nanobots
Chinese researchers have designed and tested simulations of a "nanoclutch," a speed regulation tool for nanomotors.
May 24, 2012 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
Scientists investigate how ice melts below freezing due to nanowire's pressure
(PhysOrg.com) -- The many ways in which water differs from other molecules is both a scientific curiosity and an important factor in shaping the Earth. Among water's unique properties are that it expands when ...
Increasing rainfall may affect winds: study
(PhysOrg.com) -- Falling raindrops produce friction as they drop through the atmosphere to the ground, and this dissipates the kinetic energy, converting it into diffuse heat. Now researchers in the US have ...
Earthquakes generate big heat in super-small areas: study
Most earthquakes that are seen, heard, and felt around the world are caused by fast slip on faults. While the earthquake rupture itself can travel on a fault as fast as the speed of sound or better, the fault ...
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 13, 2011 |
4.5 / 5 (4) |
2
|
Stronger than steel, novel metals are moldable as plastic
(PhysOrg.com) -- Imagine a material that's stronger than steel, but just as versatile as plastic, able to take on a seemingly endless variety of forms. For decades, materials scientists have been trying to ...
Mar 01, 2011 |
4.8 / 5 (30) |
18
|
Friction stir welding unites reliability, affordability
(Phys.org) -- NASA's next heavy-lift launch vehicle, the Space Launch System, is moving further in development faster thanks to proven advanced technologies like friction stir welding.
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 21, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
Friction research casts doubt on fundamental physics law
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research on frictional slipping has revealed that some of the basic assumptions of introductory physics do not hold at small scales. The findings may be useful in the study of earthquakes.
Glasperlenspiel: Scientists propose new test for gravity
A new experiment proposed* by physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology may allow researchers to test the effects of gravity with unprecedented precision at very short distances -- a ...
Sep 01, 2010 |
4.6 / 5 (37) |
105
|
Magnetic fields can send particles to infinity
Researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM, Spain) have mathematically shown that particles charged in a magnetic field can escape into infinity without ever stopping. One of the conditions ...
Apr 17, 2012 |
4.1 / 5 (26) |
42
|
Mechanical engineers study snakes' sophisticated frictional properties to build more nimble rescue robots
Snakes! Love them or hate them, everyone can agree they are superb at sliding over complex terrain. Learning the slithery reptiles' tricks can provide valuable tips for designing rescue robots to help locate ...
Feb 29, 2012 |
4 / 5 (1) |
1
|
Nanotechnologists reveal the frictional characteristics of atomically thin sheets (w/ Video)
A team of nanotechnology researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University has used friction force microscopy to determine the nanoscale frictional characteristics of four atomically-thin ...
Apr 01, 2010 |
4.1 / 5 (9) |
0
|
Friction force differences offer new means for manipulating nanotubes
(PhysOrg.com) -- Nanotubes and nanowires are promising building blocks for future integrated nanoelectronic and photonic circuits, nanosensors, interconnects and electro-mechanical nanodevices. But some fundamental ...
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Sep 15, 2009 |
4 / 5 (3) |
0
Black hole jets
(PhysOrg.com) -- Black holes are irresistible sinks for matter and energy. They are so dense that not even light can escape from their gravitational clutches. Massive black holes (equal to millions or even ...
Jan 16, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
6
|
Cutting-edge study shows teeth can be used to determine what has been eaten
You are what you eat is truism that has been given new impetus by 'cutting edge' research led by the University of Leicester that reveals your teeth are literally shaped by your food.
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Apr 03, 2012 |
3.8 / 5 (5) |
0
|
Friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative lateral (tangential) motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, or material elements in contact. It is usually subdivided into several varieties:
Friction is not a fundamental force, as it is derived from electromagnetic force between charged particles, including electrons, protons, atoms, and molecules, and so cannot be calculated from first principles, but instead must be found empirically. When contacting surfaces move relative to each other, the friction between the two surfaces converts kinetic energy into thermal energy, or heat. Contrary to earlier explanations, kinetic friction is now understood not to be caused by surface roughness but by chemical bonding between the surfaces. Surface roughness and contact area, however, do affect kinetic friction for micro- and nano-scale objects where surface area forces dominate inertial forces.
For more information about Friction, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.