What kind of friction allows you to walk

The normal force also affects the maximum static frictional force, which is the smallest force required for your feet to slide, or the maximum amount of force you can apply horizontally to the ground without slipping. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. What force enables us to walk? Friction or normal reaction? Ask Question.

Asked 2 years, 3 months ago. Active 2 years, 3 months ago. Viewed 9k times. Improve this question. Oishika Oishika 5 5 silver badges 16 16 bronze badges. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. Improve this answer. BioPhysicist BioPhysicist With no weight caused by the normal force there is no friction at all.

I say this in my answer. The normal force determines the maximum strength of the static friction force. Well, I guess you do, otherwise your non-hydrogen atoms would blow apart and you'd become a cloud of hydrogen plasma. Which makes walking difficult. So there is that.

Maybe you could do without the Weak nuclear force? I feel like one could argue the buoyant force is a normal force. Water still interacts with matter. You could just as well say that ice is transparent and water is transparent but ground is opaque, therefore opacity is important for walking.

The original question posited that one of friction and normal is required. BDTP's answer demonstrates that just one of them is not sufficient. He's not presenting a masterclass in deductive reasoning. In order for the object to move, it must rise to where the peaks can skip along the bottom surface.

Thus a force is required just to set the object in motion. Some of the peaks will be broken off, also requiring a force to maintain motion. Rolling friction Rolling friction is the weakest kind of friction. It is the force that resists the motion of an object rolling across a surface. Skip to content Helpful tips. March 19, Joe Ford. Table of Contents. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Yosra Quagliarini Supporter.

What is a force diagram? Drawing a Force Diagram. Oriol Ipar-Izar Supporter. How can we decrease friction? There are a number of ways to reduce friction:.

Make the surfaces smoother. Lubrication is another way to make a surface smoother. Make the object more streamlined. Reduce the forces acting on the surfaces.

Reduce the contact between the surfaces. Roll the bodies instead of sliding them. Why is walking possible? Yes, walking is possible due to friction. When a person is walking , in every step he apply some force on the ground. Because there is friction between ground and his feet, ground also apply some force in opposite direction Newton's 3rd law thus walking becomes possible.

Azara Blenk Beginner. What would be impossible without friction? Writing on paper with a pen is also possible due to friction. Everyone and everything would be sliding all over the place, including the water in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Friction is a force that tends to stop motion or resist the motion of objects. Walking would be impossible without friction. Breno Udron Beginner. How is friction harmful? Friction : Harmful and Helpful List several ways friction can be harmful : List several ways friction can be helpful: Without friction , a car is useless.

However, friction can also cause problems in a car. Friction between moving engine parts increases their temperature and causes the parts to wear down. Abdelkhaleq Mai Beginner. Does ice have friction? When a skate moves over the surface of ice , the friction between the skate and the ice generates heat that melts the outermost layer of ice.

But ice is still slippery even when you're standing still. If you stand on ice without moving, no friction exists to generate heat, yet the ice is still slippery. Ask A Question. Co-authors: