Friction is always a necessary evil. It may be an advantage in some cases but can also be a disadvantage in other cases. Let us analyze the advantages and disadvantages of friction with some detailed examples.
What are the 5 advantages of friction?
- Friction helps us to walk turn and stop
- Friction helps us to wear caps and ring
- Friction helps us in the transfer of energy
- Friction helps us in making fire
- Friction helps us to hold on to objects
What are the 5 disadvantages of friction?
- Produces unwanted heat
- Reduces efficiency of machines
- Eco-Hazard
- Produces unwanted noise
- Causes wear and tear
Advantages of friction
Friction helps us to walk, turn and stop
Without friction, it is difficult to walk. Friction provides us with a force in the backward direction that propels us forward. You might have noticed that it is very difficult to walk on slippery ground or on sand dunes.
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Friction provides us with control in order to turn. The resistive force allows manure easily. Think of roller skates, it is difficult to turn because of the low friction offered by the wheels. You can check out these roller skates. The material chosen is aluminum for a smooth ride. (Note: This above link is an affiliate link! You can view our full affiliate disclosure here).
Brakes in a car work on the principle of friction. So, without friction, an object will not come to rest on its own. Newton’s first law states that an object in motion will continue in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force.
Friction helps to wear cap, ring, and belt
Whenever we wear a cap or hat or anything on us, it has to cling on. It can be only possible by adding adhesives. But, friction contact makes it possible to hold on to us without any use of adhesives. Without friction, our hats, ring on our fingers, etc, will slide off. You can read can more such examples in our post on 50 examples of friction.
Friction help in the transfer of energy
In mechanical engineering, the friction between parts in a machine helps in the transfer of energy. Without friction, the parts will slip and there won’t be any solid contact established to transfer energy. You can use this science kit to understand more about how machines work. (Note: This is an affiliate link! You can view our full affiliate disclosure here)
Friction helps in making fire
The rubbing of two bodies produces heat due to friction. This idea has been used for ages in making fires from dry branches of trees and stones. Also, you are able to light a matchstick due to frictional force. You can understand better by watching this simulation here.
Friction helps to hold onto objects
The friction between our hands and the object that we are holding onto helps us to grip the object. Without friction, just imagine, that the object will slip off your hands continuously. You can watch this funny video about life without friction to learn more.
Disadvantages of friction
Produces unwanted heat
Friction is a necessary evil. So, the heat we discussed in the advantages section can also be a disadvantage in some cases. This unwanted heat can be forest fires due to the rubbing of dry trees or any fire accident in industries.
Reduces efficiency of machines
The machines (engines inside the car) have many small parts working inside them. These parts are generally in contact and in motion continuously. The friction between the parts hinders their free movement and hence reduces the overall efficiency of the machine. This overall reduction in efficiency causes additional fuel consumption.
Eco-hazard
Friction causes a reduction in efficiency and makes us consume more fuel. This additional fuel consumption causes environmental hazards.
Produces unwanted noise
Friction is always characterized by heat and noise. Sometimes this noise might turn into pollution. You can imagine how it feels when you hear the screeching sounds when you rub a balloon.
Causes wear and tear
Friction always causes wear and tear. It reduces the lifetime of an object, hence adding to economical concerns. Without friction, objects would be there for a very long time if not acted upon by natural factors like heat or rain.
More advantages and disadvantages of friction:
Advantages of friction:
- We can write on objects due to friction between the paper and the pencil (Note: This is an affiliate link! You can view our full affiliate disclosure here). The friction causes a few atoms from the graphite to break and stick to the paper.
- We can sharpen objects. The friction between two sliding objects allows us to grind or sharpen objects
- Asteroids entering Earth’s surface are burned due to friction with the Earth’s atmosphere. The friction causes the heating effect of the asteroids.
Disadvantages of friction:
- It is difficult to clean surfaces. The friction between the dust particles and surfaces can be very strong in some cases. It requires special cleaning liquids to clean such surfaces.
- Friction reduces speed. That is why maglev trains are designed with an elevated concept to reduce friction. You can read this article on how to reduce friction.
- Friction involves expenses. The mileage of vehicles is affected due to friction, hence we consume more fuel. There is also an investment in the friction-free design of machines and vehicles. Plus we apply oils and other chemicals to reduce friction.
