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Related Concept Videos

Static Friction01:18

Static Friction

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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...
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Frictional Force01:07

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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...
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Dry Friction01:30

Dry Friction

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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...
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Static and Kinetic Frictional Force01:05

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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.
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Kinetic Friction01:26

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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...
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Types of Friction Problems01:27

Types of Friction Problems

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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....
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Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes
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Diffusible Cross-linkers Cause Superexponential Friction Forces.

Harmen Wierenga1, Pieter Rein Ten Wolde1

  • 1AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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|August 29, 2020
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cellular structure formation relies on cytoskeletal filament friction. Passive cross-linkers cause this friction, which we found increases exponentially with cross-linker density.

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular biophysics
  • Cytoskeletal dynamics
  • Molecular motors

Background:

  • Friction between cytoskeletal filaments is crucial for cellular structures like the mitotic spindle and cytokinetic ring.
  • The precise mechanism and cross-linker density dependence of this friction are not well understood.
  • Passive cross-linkers, which can move between binding sites and exclude each other, are implicated in this friction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanism of friction between cross-linked cytoskeletal filaments.
  • To determine how friction depends on the density of passive cross-linkers.
  • To elucidate the role of cross-linker dynamics in filament movement.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical modeling of filament-cross-linker interactions.
  • Computer simulations of two cross-linked filaments.
  • Analysis of free-energy barriers and reaction coordinates governing relative filament movement.

Main Results:

  • Filament movement occurs through rare, discrete jumps associated with free-energy barrier crossings.
  • A reaction coordinate governing relative microtubule movement was identified.
  • An exact analytical expression for the free-energy barrier and friction coefficient was derived.
  • The friction coefficient exhibits a superexponential scaling with cross-linker density.

Conclusions:

  • The study elucidates the molecular mechanism of cross-linker-induced filament friction.
  • Filament friction is strongly dependent on cross-linker density, increasing superexponentially.
  • This work provides a quantitative understanding of passive cross-linker roles in cytoskeletal mechanics.