| coefficient of friction n. pl. coefficients of friction The ratio of the force that maintains contact between an object and a surface and the frictional force that resists the motion of the object. |
| coefficient of friction
A measure of the amount of resistance that a surface exerts on or substances moving over it, equal to the ratio between the maximal frictional force that the surface exerts and the force pushing the object toward the surface. The coefficient of friction is not always the same for objects that are motionless and objects that are in motion; motionless objects often experience more friction than moving ones, requiring more force to put them in motion than to sustain them in motion. ◇ The static coefficient of friction is the coefficient of friction that applies to objects that are motionless. ◇ The kinetic or sliding coefficient of friction is the coefficient of friction that applies to objects that are in motion. See also drag, friction. |