Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I am not familiar with the specific experiment you described. Is is one of the Science Buddies project ideas?

It seems the experiment is having you look at the effects of different "lubricants" on friction. There are many, many types of lubricant that you could use. Because you told me this has to do with a car and a ramp, I think you are trying to learn what kind of lubricants makes the wheels work better. So, if that is what you are trying to do, here are some other ideas.

You could simple rub the wheel axles with waxed paper. Wax is a good lubricant. If you rub a thin film on the wheels, they will spin more freely. That what the vegetable oil and melted butter would do too. You could also try something like petroleum jelly - Vasoline or Vicks. Those are good lubricants. Even liquid soap can be a good lubricant, too.

If you tell me more about your experiment, I'm sure I could give you more ideas, too.

Good luck.

edneu3 wrote:I am not familiar with the specific experiment you described. Is is one of the Science Buddies project ideas?

It seems the experiment is having you look at the effects of different "lubricants" on friction. There are many, many types of lubricant that you could use. Because you told me this has to do with a car and a ramp, I think you are trying to learn what kind of lubricants makes the wheels work better. So, if that is what you are trying to do, here are some other ideas.

You could simple rub the wheel axles with waxed paper. Wax is a good lubricant. If you rub a thin film on the wheels, they will spin more freely. That what the vegetable oil and melted butter would do too. You could also try something like petroleum jelly - Vasoline or Vicks. Those are good lubricants. Even liquid soap can be a good lubricant, too.

If you tell me more about your experiment, I'm sure I could give you more ideas, too.

Good luck.

No its not one of the Science Buddies project ideas edneu3. I was just wondering what would make the car to slow down even more and create more fiction. Im trying to test out which out of the 3 substances(which I dont know the 3 substances i should use) and see which particular substances Im using to slow the toy car down. Really I just want to know which substance that will slow down. Im running out of ideas. haha

Thanks

I'd really like to help, but I need to know more about your experiment. Normally, the things you mentioned, vegetable oil and liquid butter, make things go faster, not slow them down. So I need to know more about how you are doing your experiment before I can give you any other ideas.

Let me know, and I'll help.

There are TWO components to frictional forces. There is the coeficient of friction (which is primarily determined by the lubricant or surface properties) and there is the force perpendicular to the friction surfaces that is pushing them together which when multiplied together becomes the frictional force (force opposing movement of the friction surfaces moving with respect to each other. If you are trying to increase the frictional force, you might find it much easier to increase the pressing two two surfaces together. This is how brakes on cars and trucks are controlled.

edneu3 wrote:I'd really like to help, but I need to know more about your experiment. Normally, the things you mentioned, vegetable oil and liquid butter, make things go faster, not slow them down. So I need to know more about how you are doing your experiment before I can give you any other ideas.

Let me know, and I'll help.

More friction means that a substance is slowing down right? If so, then I might change the project to "Which out of these substances would create Less Friction?". I think that fits what you are talking about. Since lubricants make things go faster.

Thanks for the help!

Craig_Bridge wrote:There are TWO components to frictional forces. There is the coeficient of friction (which is primarily determined by the lubricant or surface properties) and there is the force perpendicular to the friction surfaces that is pushing them together which when multiplied together becomes the frictional force (force opposing movement of the friction surfaces moving with respect to each other. If you are trying to increase the frictional force, you might find it much easier to increase the pressing two two surfaces together. This is how brakes on cars and trucks are controlled.

Thanks for the information. I might put that on my conclusion & discussion part of my project.

Hi,

As a physics student, I just wanted to add a bit more info. to the other Experts' blogs.

As Craig_Bridge explained, the frictional force is really just the normal force multiplied by the coefficient of friction. The normal force will be the same no matter which lubricant you use because it only depends on the angle of incline and the mass of the car. However, by switching through different lubricants, you alter the coefficient of friction. Here, most of your substances will act as lubricants because their coefficients of fiction (mu) are actually smaller than that of the wooden ramp, so the frictional force actually decreases and the car speeds up.

If you want to slow the car down, I would recommend going online and looking for materials that have greater coefficients than that of wood and see how that works for you.

Hope this helps,

Manjinder