Friction at the atomic scale appears to depend on the speed at which two surfaces move past each other. This surprising behaviour was observed as the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) moves ...

Learn how angular velocity works in a circular swing! This simple explanation breaks down the physics so anyone can understand rotational motion, speed, and how swings move in a circle. #PhysicsBasics ...

Figure 2: Dependence of friction on slip displacement for samples slid at 3, 30 and 100 mm s-1. What mechanism is responsible for the extraordinary weakening observed in our experiments? Powdered rock ...

Is friction real? Once, with the quiet certainty of someone who just stayed up all night in the company of equations describing concrete, my college roommate told me that friction was made up. Now, ...

Abstract: This paper presents a computational study on the role of poroelasticity in gel friction. Motivated by recent experimental studies in the literature, we develop a plane strain finite element ...

Howard Brody, emeritus professor of physics at the University of Pennsylvania, serves up an answer to this question. Tennis can be played on almost any surface that can be made smooth enough to ...