A day without friction?

Question

I writing a paper in physics. Its has the theme " A day without friction". I was thinking about what would be a huge affect of no friction on a global scale. Then I thought about the layers of rock that are under the surface and are constantly going under and over each other. I though about the continental drift the formed our current continents. If there was no friction wouldnt these things go crazy and start moving uncontrollably and make the continents start drifing into each other causing disater? Wouldnt the earth get really cold because that friction under the ground creates the heat that is in the earths center? Would that mess up orbit? Or would gravity have to stop too. Tell me what you think would be the biggest effect of no friction on a global scale.

Answer 1

I can tell you that gravity and Earth's orbit would not be affected by the absence of friction. Your thoughts about plate tectonics are interesting. Definitely, friction is a factor in the interaction among the plates and between the plates and the magma. However, I'm not sure if that's the best example, because the grating of the plates is on such a large scale that most people don't think of it as friction. For me, the biggest effect would be the inability of moving objects to gain traction on the ground. We wouldn't be able to drive at all, and walking would be quite challenging.

Answer 2

The more I put my mind to this, the more difficult and fantastic the scenario becomes. The oceans would be perfectly flat, because the wave causing mechanisms would no longer work. When you combine your vision of plate tectonics with the probable form the ocean currents would take, you would have an incredibly dynamic world of viscuous continents bobbing on the surface of rapidly cycling tectonic convection currents, upwelling at points like the mid Atlantic Ridge, and plunging back into the depths at subduction zones. With no friction, this process would glide smoothly , and at a more rapid pace than we now experience. Two side effects that come to mind would be the lack of earthquakes, and the eventual cooling of the Earth's internal heat. Just guessing, I would hypthesize that the rapid convection would dissipate the internal heat faster than the radioactive elements could create it.

The ocean currents would no longer be impeded by friction, which would give the entire system more dynamic energy. However, I think the scenario would more complex that a simple acceleration of the existing system, perhaps involving more circulation in areas that now do not experience discernable circulation.

The ice caps and glaciers would not exist, as they would be circulated back into the oceans at a remarkably rapid pace. A thin layer of rapidly moving snow would be all that would exist.

This is giving me a headache. The more I try to envision a world without friction, the more complex it becomes. If you are speaking of a day without friction, where friction exists before and after this twenty four hour period, it becomes impossible, as most of what would happen would be the first opening movements of an evolution from the world as we know it to a friction free world, and then a return to the status quo. The best adjective I can think of to describe this , and it is far too limited in it's scope to suitably address this, is chaos.....utter chaos. If the tsumani in the Indian Ocean were a firecracker, this would be a nuclear bomb. The geological and oceanographic implications are beyond comprehension, and that would be the tiniest tip of the iceberg.

Give your professor a message from me. Go to hell. This is impossible to address in any sort of sensible way.

Answer 3

Let your imagination run, but stick to the science. Heat in the earth's center is not from friction. Gravity and orbits are unaffected. Plate tectonics and continental drift would not go crazy. They would simply cease to exist. Continents and mountains would not move as units. All amorphous (non-crystalline) matter would act more like a liquid. The earth would be concentric shells of elements and compounds, with the heaviest at the center and the lightest at the surface. It'd look like one huge ocean covered by an oil slick.

Answer 4

I don't think gravity would cease to exist, I don't believe that has anything to do with friction. BUT nothing would be as we know it. I wonder if life, itself could exist on a slippery planet. I could not even imagine what the tectonic plates would be like as they rub up against eachother and their movement is not hampered by friction. Would it cause climactic changes? Most certainly. Even if life were possible, how would we stand up or walk? couldn't even imagine even rough surfaces being slippery.

Heck, even if humans existed, how would we procreate since friction is needed to create male orgasm?

What would transportation be like? We couldn't use cars because friction is needed to "grip the road"

Maybe life would exist in water, only, because friction is not needed to propel oneself in water. But then, again, would the planet even have developed into something we could recognize? Would there be oceans and land?

Sorry, my minuscule knowledge of physics and my imagination stops here. good luck with your paper.

Answer 5

nicely, an afternoon devoid of friction helps you to not walk around orpersistent a vehicle. you could not even %. something up devoid of friction. So writing a tale devoid of friction could be exceedingly hard simply by fact the optimum character would not be waiting to do many daily events

Answer 6

I think you are aiming too high and will not be able to prove your points Perhaps you could replace global structures with small greased ballbearings. That would not affect a rock solid mountain because it is held together by chemical bonds. However, any loose soil would slide down into the deepest valley. Roots of trees would be slick and slimy but would they hold in loose soil (ballbearings)? I think you get the picture. Good luck.

Answer 7

If there will be no friction, everything will move at a constant velocity and direction. So if you start at a velocity of 50km/h northwards, you will remain that way.

Without friction fire will not be crated bec.
fuel+FRICTION+oxgyen=fire.

Without friction heat will not be created because "friction is the force that contadicts relative motion,thus creates heat(though most are wasted)"

Without friction aeronautic concepts will be useless. Like that of the streamline of boats which resist the air resistance and disperses it unto an area of lesser pressure.

Answer 8

Anything that operates on friction (e.g. motor cars, human walking) will cease to function and those that are already in motion cannot stop but they can crash, however, they will bounce off and continue to glide like on a perfect skating ring.

Answer 9

Crush! no friction to stop