When a car is driving up a hill, is the friction between the tires and the ground static friction or kinetic friction?
Asked by:
Weiyin He
Answer
If you are not spinning your wheels on the pavement, it is static friction between the tire and ground. If the wheels start spinning, it is kinetic friction.
Since static friction provides a greater frictional force than kinetic friction, spinning tires should be avoided. That is the theory behind ABS braking, and why you shouldn't just spin your tires faster when trying to move on slippery pavement.
Answered by:
Paul Walorski, B.A., Part-time Physics/Astronomy Instructor
'There is no inductive method which could lead to the fundamental concepts of physics. Failure to understand this fact constituted the basic philosophical error of so many investigators of the nineteenth century.'