Friction and Bouncing
Friction is a phenomenon that happens when two surfaces are in contact with each other and their motion is impeded by one another. Friction is a force caused by the resistance of solid surfaces. It resists the relative motion of these two surfaces and the energy that is produced is converted into heat, sound and sometimes light. This heat could be felt in the form of warmth.
The laws of friction are relevant to many branches of engineering and science. The two types of friction are static and kinetic. Static friction occurs when two surfaces are not moving relative to one another. Kinetic friction occurs when two surfaces are in motion relative to one another. The magnitude of the static friction force is by far the greatest.
Bouncing is the mechanical behavior of a solid object which deforms when substantial force is applied to it and then quickly returns to its original shape. A bouncing motion is usually described as a combination of linear and angular motion in three dimensions.
Bouncing is often known as a rebounding or bouncing effect and is seen as an essential part of many everyday activities, from sports like basketball and football, to more recreational activities like bouncing on a trampoline or playing with a bouncy ball.
Bouncing is an important area of study for scientists, engineers and technicians because it involves energy transformations. It has also become a popular method of teaching children about the principles of physics and engineering.
Bouncing involves some mechanical principles, such as elasticity, inertia, acceleration and force, that are important for engineers and technicians. The energy at the moment of impact will be divided between deforming the material and the energy that is bounced back. This is why normally a material will elasticize and bounce better when it is softer, like a sponge rubber.
Bouncing behaves differently based on the type of material used. Each material can respond differently to the same force as they are composed of different materials and structures. A force applied to a soft material will experience more of an elastic response while a hard material will experience a Plaster of Paris effect with less elasticity and rebound.
Bouncing objects obey the laws of the conservation of energy. When an object is dropped, most of the energy that was used to propel it towards the ground is converted into kinetic energy. This kinetic energy is then dispersed in other forms such as heat, sound and light when the object hits a solid surface.
When this energy is not dissipated, then bouncing is possible. As the object falls it will reach a certain point where some of the kinetic energy will be stored in the form of elastic potential energy and that energy will be the one responsible for propelling the object back once it has made contact with the ground.
In conclusion, friction and bouncing are phenomena that are related to everyday activity and are essential for engineers and technicians to understand. Friction is the resistance of two surfaces when in contact and there are two types of friction, static and kinetic. Bouncing is the mechanical behavior of a solid object which deforms when substantial force is applied to it and then returns to its original shape. Bouncing responds to the laws of conservation of energy.
