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The force of friction is NOT ALWAYS directed opposite the direction an object is moving. Consider, for example, an object (like a book) resting on a piece of paper on a table. If you gently pull the paper and the book moves with the paper, friction between the paper and the book is causing the book to move in the same direction as the paper. Even if you pull a bit faster and the book slides in the same direction as the paper motion, but a little bit slower, the friction is the force which is pulling the book along--in the same direction of the paper motion.

The direction friction is acting is opposite the direction of the relative SLIDING or attempted sliding of surfaces. In the cases above, without friction, the book would slide opposite the direction of paper motion, so the friction is in the same direction, accelerating the book along with the paper. In the first case, the book's acceleration is the same as the paper's; in the second, the book's acceleration is less than the paper's causing the book to actually slide backwards relative to the paper's motion.

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9y ago
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9y ago

The force of friction is directed opposite of the way an object is moving so it is able to stop the object. An example would be a car and its brakes.

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Q: The force of friction is directed opposite of the way an object is moving because?
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What is the force that opposes the friction force?

The opposite force to friction is momentum. Because friction stops an object from moving or slows an object down, momentum keeps it at speed.


What direction does friction act in to an object's direction of motion?

Friction will always act in the direction opposite of the relativistic motion of two objects. If object A is moving to the right on object B, then object A will experience the friction to the left. However, object B will be moving to the left on object A and will therefore experience the friction acting towards the right.


Does friction cause the speed of moving objects to increase?

No, the force of friction always acts in the direction opposite to that of the motions.


Why is the force of friction directed the opppsite way of an object that is movin?

The force of friction is directed opposite to the direction of motion because it acts to resist the relative motion between two surfaces in contact. It opposes the tendency of sliding or rolling motion, slowing down or stopping the motion of the object.


What are forces between two moving objects that are touching?

Friction force. [opposite force]


What is the force between two moving objects that are touching?

Friction force. [opposite force]


How does friction affect the motion of a moving object?

Friction acts in the opposite direction to the motion of the object, slowing it down. It transforms kinetic energy of the moving object into heat energy. The amount of friction depends on the surfaces in contact and the force pushing them together.


How do you apply friction?

Friction acts in the opposite direction that the object is moving or trying to move. The force of friction is calculated by multiplying the normal force of the object, usually mass times gravity, by the coefficient of friction.


What is the force that tends to keep a load from moving?

Friction is the force that tends to keep a load from moving. It acts in the opposite direction to the force applied to move the load, making it harder to overcome.


Would you slow down or keep moving if there wasn't much friction?

You would keep moving, because friction is what slows you down.


What is a friction that acts on objects moving through a fluid called?

Drag is the friction that acts on objects moving through a fluid like air or water. It slows down the movement of the object by creating resistance in the opposite direction.


Why do objects heat up if they are moving faster?

Because the friction of molicules rubbing other molicules.