All Textbook Topics - Forces and Motion - Friction, Lubrication and Viscosity - Dynamic friction is a force applied to an object moving over a surface, by the surface, acting in a way to slow the object down

Dynamic friction is a force applied to an object moving over a surface, by the surface, acting in a way to slow the object down

Dynamic friction can only apply when an object is moving.

In both the diagrams below, dynamic friction is being applied as the cars are moving along a surface, and the friction is acting between the surface and the car's wheels.

Dynamic friction acts on moving objects in a way to slow them down or limit their speed.

The key thing that differentiates this type of friction is that the object is moving.

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Friction causes heating and wearing
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Static friction is a force applied to an object by a surface when you try to move the object. The object will only start to move once the force applied is greater than the static friction.

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