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

Kinetic Friction01:26

Kinetic Friction

1.4K
Consider a truck trying to pull a stationary car. As the truck exerts a force on the car, static friction is created at the point of contact between the two surfaces. This frictional force resists the car's movement and keeps it at rest. However, when the applied force by the truck surpasses the limiting static frictional force, an interesting phenomenon occurs. The frictional force at the interface reduces to a lower value, known as the kinetic frictional force. At this point, the car...
1.4K
Types of Friction Problems01:27

Types of Friction Problems

978
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....
978
Friction: Problem Solving01:21

Friction: Problem Solving

505
Friction is an essential force that influences the motion of objects in daily life. Depending on the situation, it can be either beneficial or problematic. Consider a bus with a mass of three megagrams and its center of mass at a specific point, moving along a banked road at a constant speed. The coefficient of static friction between the tires and the road is 0.5. Find the maximum angle of the banked road at which the bus would not slip or tip.
Initially, a visual representation of the...
505
Characteristics of Dry Friction01:21

Characteristics of Dry Friction

976
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...
976
Frictional Force01:07

Frictional Force

9.9K
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...
9.9K
Dry Friction01:30

Dry Friction

974
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...
974

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Meniscope: A Low-Cost Fluid Interface Visualizer.

Integrative and comparative biology·2026
Same author

Publisher Correction: 3D-printed spines for programmable liquid topographies and micromanipulation.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Diffusion-limited settling of highly porous particles in density-stratified fluids.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

3D-printed spines for programmable liquid topographies and micromanipulation.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Single-particle diffraction with a hydrodynamic pilot-wave model.

Physical review. E·2025
Same author

Synchronization of wave-propelled capillary spinners.

Physical review. E·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Hydrogen Charging of Aluminum using Friction in Water
07:50

Hydrogen Charging of Aluminum using Friction in Water

Published on: January 28, 2020

6.5K

Friction on water sliders.

Giuseppe Pucci1, Ian Ho1, Daniel M Harris2

  • 1Brown University, School of Engineering, 184 Hope St., Providence, (RI), United States.

Scientific Reports
|March 13, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Centimeter-sized bodies sliding on water experience friction mainly from the fluid boundary layer. Modifying body shape or topography can reduce this friction, aiding designs for water-surface robots.

More Related Videos

Determination of the Friction Coefficients of Icy Pavements Under Different Amounts of Snowfall
12:21

Determination of the Friction Coefficients of Icy Pavements Under Different Amounts of Snowfall

Published on: January 6, 2023

4.8K
The Role of Fabric in Frictional Properties of Phyllosilicate-Rich Tectonic Faults
07:39

The Role of Fabric in Frictional Properties of Phyllosilicate-Rich Tectonic Faults

Published on: November 6, 2021

3.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Hydrogen Charging of Aluminum using Friction in Water
07:50

Hydrogen Charging of Aluminum using Friction in Water

Published on: January 28, 2020

6.5K
Determination of the Friction Coefficients of Icy Pavements Under Different Amounts of Snowfall
12:21

Determination of the Friction Coefficients of Icy Pavements Under Different Amounts of Snowfall

Published on: January 6, 2023

4.8K
The Role of Fabric in Frictional Properties of Phyllosilicate-Rich Tectonic Faults
07:39

The Role of Fabric in Frictional Properties of Phyllosilicate-Rich Tectonic Faults

Published on: November 6, 2021

3.6K

Area of Science:

  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Tribology
  • Microrobotics

Background:

  • Objects in motion are subject to friction, which slows them down.
  • Understanding friction at fluid interfaces is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the friction experienced by centimeter-sized bodies sliding on water.
  • To develop a model explaining the dominant friction mechanism.
  • To explore methods for friction reduction.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental investigation of sliding bodies on water.
  • Development of a quasi-steady boundary layer model.
  • Testing various body sizes, masses, shapes, and fluid viscosities.

Main Results:

  • Motion is dominated by skin friction from the fluid boundary layer.
  • A simple model accurately predicts experimental behavior across different parameters.
  • Friction can be reduced by altering body shape and surface topography.

Conclusions:

  • Skin friction is the primary resistance for bodies sliding on water.
  • The developed model provides a predictive tool for fluid-interface friction.
  • Findings can inform the design of efficient aerial-aquatic microrobots for exploration.