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

Static and Kinetic Frictional Force01:05

Static and Kinetic Frictional Force

26.3K
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...
26.3K
Rolling Resistance01:21

Rolling Resistance

736
When a solid cylinder rolls steadily on a rigid surface, the normal force applied by the surface on the cylinder is perpendicular to the tangent at the contact point. However, since no materials are entirely rigid, the surface's reaction to the cylinder involves a range of normal pressures.
For instance, imagine a hard cylinder rolling on a comparatively soft surface. The cylinder's weight compresses the surface beneath it. As the cylinder moves, the material in front of it slows down due to...
736
Static Friction01:18

Static Friction

1.6K
Static friction is a force that opposes the relative motion or tendency of motion between two surfaces in contact. It plays a crucial role in our daily lives, from walking on the ground to driving a car.
For example, consider a scenario where a truck is connected to a car by a rope, ready to tow it along a road. When no external force is applied by the truck, the car remains stationary and is said to be in static equilibrium. In this case, the forces acting on the car, such as gravity and the...
1.6K
Dry Friction01:30

Dry Friction

1.1K
Dry friction occurs between two solid surfaces in contact as they attempt to move relative to one another. In daily life, dry friction is encountered in various forms, such as when walking on the ground, sliding an object across a table, or rubbing hands together. Despite its ubiquity, the underlying mechanisms behind dry friction are not readily visible.
To illustrate this concept, imagine a wooden crate resting on a rough, non-uniform horizontal surface. When an external force is applied to...
1.1K
Types of Friction Problems01:27

Types of Friction Problems

1.0K
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....
1.0K
Frictional Force01:07

Frictional Force

10.5K
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...
10.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Structural transition from ordered molecular layers to disordered arrangement triggers nonmonotonic friction at <i>n</i>-hexadecane-graphite interfaces.

Nanoscale·2026
Same author

Computational design of low-volatility lubricants for space using interpretable machine learning.

Journal of cheminformatics·2026
Same author

An integrated molecular characterization and simulation study of chain length effects on PFAS adsorption at hydrophobic interfaces.

Water research·2026
Same author

Reactive MD Screening of Antioxidants for Substituent-Dependent Phenoxyl Radical Stability.

ACS omega·2026
Same author

Mechanochemistry Activated by Confinement- and Shear-Induced Molecular Distortion.

Chemical reviews·2026
Same author

Deriving effective electrode-ion interactions from free-energy profiles at electrochemical interfaces.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Residue-Free Fabrication of van der Waals Heterostructures of Two-Dimensional Materials
04:57

Residue-Free Fabrication of van der Waals Heterostructures of Two-Dimensional Materials

Published on: July 18, 2025

1.3K

Load-Dependent Friction Hysteresis on Graphene.

Zhijiang Ye1, Philip Egberts2, Gang Hee Han3

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California Merced , 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, California 95343, United States.

ACS Nano
|April 26, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Water at the nanoscale contact is the primary cause of friction hysteresis observed during atomic force microscopy experiments on graphene. This phenomenon, where unloading friction exceeds loading friction, is linked to the water-graphene interface size.

Keywords:
atomic force microscopychemical vapor depositiongraphenemolecular dynamics simulationsnanotribology

More Related Videos

Optimized Fabrication Procedure for High-Quality Graphene-based Moir&#233; Superlattice Devices
11:24

Optimized Fabrication Procedure for High-Quality Graphene-based Moiré Superlattice Devices

Published on: July 11, 2025

17.2K
Fabrication of Gate-tunable Graphene Devices for Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Studies with Coulomb Impurities
11:42

Fabrication of Gate-tunable Graphene Devices for Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Studies with Coulomb Impurities

Published on: July 24, 2015

16.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Residue-Free Fabrication of van der Waals Heterostructures of Two-Dimensional Materials
04:57

Residue-Free Fabrication of van der Waals Heterostructures of Two-Dimensional Materials

Published on: July 18, 2025

1.3K
Optimized Fabrication Procedure for High-Quality Graphene-based Moir&#233; Superlattice Devices
11:24

Optimized Fabrication Procedure for High-Quality Graphene-based Moiré Superlattice Devices

Published on: July 11, 2025

17.2K
Fabrication of Gate-tunable Graphene Devices for Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Studies with Coulomb Impurities
11:42

Fabrication of Gate-tunable Graphene Devices for Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Studies with Coulomb Impurities

Published on: July 24, 2015

16.2K

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Tribology

Background:

  • Nanoscale friction commonly shows hysteresis, with higher friction during unloading than loading.
  • Understanding the origins of this load-dependent friction hysteresis is crucial for controlling nanoscale interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the underlying mechanisms of load-dependent friction hysteresis in nanoscale contacts.
  • To determine the role of environmental factors, specifically water, in friction hysteresis.

Main Methods:

  • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments of a silicon tip sliding on graphene in air.
  • Molecular dynamics simulations of an AFM tip on graphene under vacuum and humid air conditions.

Main Results:

  • Friction hysteresis was reproduced only in simulations including water at the tip-graphene interface.
  • The size of the water-graphene interface correlated with friction hysteresis trends.
  • Out-of-plane graphene deformation and water molecule reorganization showed weaker correlation to friction hysteresis.

Conclusions:

  • Water at the nanoscale contact is the dominant factor causing friction hysteresis.
  • The observed hysteresis is explained by variations in contact angles and the size of the water-graphene interface during loading and unloading.