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Grade 10Mechanics

Why does frcition not depend on surface area in contact?

Profile image of Ashay
9 Years agoGrade 10
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2 Answers

Profile image of Varad Rane
9 Years ago
Since pressure equals force divided by the area of contact, it works out that the increase in friction generating area is exactly offset by the reduction in pressure; the resulting frictional forces, then, are dependent only on the frictional coefficient of the materials and the FORCE holding them together.
Profile image of Varad Rane
9 Years ago
Frictional force is dependent on the weight of the body. It has got nothing to do with the area of contact. Any change in the surface area of the body does not affect its weight.