Here’s the rub with friction — scientists don’t really know how it works. Although humans have been harnessing its power since rubbing two sticks together to build the first fire, the physics of ...

Imagine a heavy book resting on a table. If you try to gently push the book across the table with the tip of your finger, it may first appear to remain motionless—it needs a lot more force to start ...

Learning the 'effective' notions of static and sliding friction, students of mechanics ... about one of the most pervasive phenomena of science.

the term "static" being applied to distinguish that condition of electric force which is excited by friction on any insulated medium, from the electricity which is developed in a current state by ...

During the exhibition at the New York Crystal Palace in 1853, I had many opportunities to notice the effect of friction on the temperature of water. You and many of your readers will remember ...

One of the first science concepts that most people ... So, there we have it—deformations and friction are the long-sought keys to static electricity. Surprisingly simple. Now, the team hopes ...

However, if you try to slide the mug across the table then a friction force will come into play and initially resist your push until your pushing force exceeds the frictional force. In other words, in ...

The conference was part of the series of activities coordinated by the European Science Foundation ... the mechanism of transition from static to kinetic friction in macroscopic systems to ...

Imagine a heavy book resting on a table. If you try to gently push the book across the table with the tip of your finger, it may first appear to ...

the pair drop clay shapes into water to learn about other kinds of friction: air and water resistance. Show Me the Science is a series of short films and teacher resources for primary schools ...