Schematic illustration of Friction Force Microscopy (FFM). The AFM cantilever, a small diving board-like structure about 200 micrometers long, 50 micrometers wide, and 1 micrometer thick, has a sharp ...

Here’s the rub with friction — scientists don’t really know how it works. Although humans have been harnessing its power since rubbing two sticks together to build the first fire, the physics of ...

Why is pancake syrup an example of a resistive force? Some forces are called contact forces because they require objects to touch. One is tension force, found in stretched wires. Another is the force ...

The term tribology is derived from the Greek word "tribo" meaning rubbing and "logy" meaning knowledge. The original applications by the Greeks of tribology were in trying to understand the motion of ...

As the potter works the spinning wheel, the friction between their hands and the soft clay helps them shape it into all kinds of forms and creations. In a fascinating parallel, sea squirt oocytes ...

Irregularities present on a surface are often described as surface roughness or texture. These surface textures such as grooves and dimples impart friction, which is the force between two sliding ...