Solve two Atwood machine problems step by step, including the effects of friction and an inclined plane. Learn how to set up free-body diagrams, apply Newton’s laws, and avoid common mistakes in ...

It may seem a bit strange that something as ubiquitous as friction is not very well understood, but it's true. On a macroscopic level, physicists and engineers can model friction and its effects very ...

Scientists developed a new model, which shows that rubbing two objects together produces static electricity, or triboelectricity, by bending the tiny protrusions on the surface of materials. Most ...

I learned to respect friction, as a phenomenon with many nuances, when I was a graduate student. One day, while teaching a problem session in elementary mechanics, I unwisely invented a new problem to ...

Most people have experienced the hair-raising effect of rubbing a balloon on their head or the subtle spark caused by dragging socked feet across the carpet. Although these experiences are common, a ...