Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Frictional Force01:07

Frictional Force

When a body is in motion, it encounters resistance because the body interacts with its surroundings. This resistance is known as friction, a common yet complex force whose behavior is still not completely understood. Friction opposes relative motion between systems in contact, but also allows us to move. Friction arises in part due to the roughness of surfaces in contact. For one object to move along a surface, it must rise to where the peaks of the surface can skip along the bottom of the...
Fluid Mosaic Model01:34

Fluid Mosaic Model

The fluid mosaic model was first proposed as a visual representation of research observations. The model comprises the composition and dynamics of membranes and serves as a foundation for future membrane-related studies. The model depicts the structure of the plasma membrane with a variety of components, which include phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. These integral molecules are loosely bound, defining the cell’s border and providing fluidity for optimal function.LipidsThe most...
Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

Fluid Mosaic Model

Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane structure, proposed in 1935 by Hugh Davson and James Danielli, was the first model to be widely accepted in the scientific community. The model was based on the plasma membrane's "railroad track" appearance in early electron micrographs. Davson and Danielli theorized that the plasma membrane's structure resembled a sandwich with the analogy of...
Static and Kinetic Frictional Force01:05

Static and Kinetic Frictional Force

One of the simpler characteristics of sliding friction is that it is parallel to the contact surfaces between systems, and is always in a direction that opposes the motion or attempted motion of the systems relative to each other. If two systems are in contact and moving relative to one another, then the friction between them is called kinetic friction. For example, kinetic friction slows a hockey puck sliding on ice.
However, if two systems are in contact and are stationary relative to one...
Types of Friction Problems01:27

Types of Friction Problems

Friction is an essential concept in physics, engineering, and everyday life. It is the force that opposes the relative motion or tendency of such motion between two surfaces in contact. One of the most common types of friction encountered in various applications is dry friction. Dry friction problems can be broadly categorized into three types, each with unique characteristics and challenges.
The first type of dry friction problem involves situations where there is no apparent impending motion.
Characteristics of Dry Friction01:21

Characteristics of Dry Friction

Dry friction occurs when two solid surfaces slide against each other without any lubrication or fluid present. It causes resistance when pushing objects along a surface, like a gardener pushing a wheelbarrow. The force applied to move the cart causes dry friction between the wheel and the ground.
Before the wheelbarrow starts moving, the static frictional force acts tangentially to the contact surface, opposing the force that is about to induce the motion. This frictional force prevents the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Visualization of Flow Behavior in Earth Mantle Convection.

IEEE transactions on visualization and computer graphics·2015
Same author

Implications of an inverse branching aftershock sequence model.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2009
Same author

A simulation-based approach to forecasting the next great San Francisco earthquake.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2005
Same author

Exactly soluble hierarchical clustering model: inverse cascades, self-similarity, and scaling.

Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics·2002
Same author

Shapes of river networks and leaves: are they statistically similar?

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2000
Same author

Networks with side branching in biology.

Journal of theoretical biology·1998
Same journal

Chemotactic self-organization captures the dynamics of mammalian hair follicle patterning.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Tomographic imaging of superconducting order using particle-hole interference.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Inhibitory potential of autologous neutralizing antibodies sets quantitative limits on the rebound-competent HIV-1 reservoir.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Inferring epidemiological parameters under an infectious phylogeography model with visitor dynamics.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Analytical modeling for suction cup designs for skin-interfaced wearable devices.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Improving cell-free metabolism through direct integration of artificial respiratory chains.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes
13:57

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

Published on: December 24, 2014

A liquid-crystal model for friction.

C H A Cheng1, L H Kellogg, S Shkoller

  • 1Department of Mathematics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|April 18, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers modeled frictional sliding using nematic liquid crystals, observing that director field orientation influences viscosity, mimicking rate-and-state friction behaviors in anisotropic non-Newtonian fluids.

More Related Videos

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
06:26

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Published on: May 15, 2017

Knowledge Based Cloud FE Simulation of Sheet Metal Forming Processes
11:05

Knowledge Based Cloud FE Simulation of Sheet Metal Forming Processes

Published on: December 13, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes
13:57

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

Published on: December 24, 2014

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
06:26

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Published on: May 15, 2017

Knowledge Based Cloud FE Simulation of Sheet Metal Forming Processes
11:05

Knowledge Based Cloud FE Simulation of Sheet Metal Forming Processes

Published on: December 13, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Rheology

Background:

  • Rate-and-state friction describes empirical behavior of frictional surfaces.
  • Nematic liquid crystals are anisotropic non-Newtonian fluids with director fields interacting with velocity fields.
  • These fluids exhibit complex behaviors in systems with rapid state switching.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To model frictional sliding using nematic liquid crystals.
  • To investigate the role of director field orientation in fluid viscosity.
  • To establish an analogy between director field behavior and state variables in rate-and-state friction.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a nematic liquid crystal confined between two parallel planes.
  • Introduced a nonlinear viscosity dependent on director field orientation.
  • Applied sliding motion to the top plane to induce fluid response.

Main Results:

  • Observed a rapid increase in fluid resistance followed by relaxation in response to sliding.
  • Demonstrated strain localization within the channel.
  • Showcased the director field's analogous role to the state variable in rate-and-state friction.

Conclusions:

  • Nematic liquid crystals provide a viable physical model for rate-and-state friction.
  • Nonlinear viscosity, modulated by director orientation, governs the frictional response.
  • The director field's dynamic behavior is crucial for understanding friction in these systems.