What is friction on the moon?

Question

For all you physicists (or curious minds) out there. This is an interesting question. What is friction on the moon?

Does anyone know the specific coefficient of friction for the moon's surface?

Answer 1

Friction is defined as f = uN. u is the coefficient of friction. This is a material property of the two objects that are rubbing against each other. It does not matter where you are u depends on what the objects are and therefore would be the same on the moon as it is here. N is the normal force to the object so that on flat ground N = mg. m is the mass of the object that would be rubbing. Mass is the same here and on the moon. The only difference is the acceleration due to gravity is smaller on the moon. So with less gravity, you will have a smaller normal force , leading to a lower force of friction. Gravity on the moon is about 1/6 that of gravity on earth, so it would take 1/6th the effort to slide something on the moon as it would here on earth. Hope this helps!

In response to your question about the coefficient of friction of the moons surface, you cannot answer that. Coefficient of friction depends on both surfaces that are rubbing against each other. You only provided one surface.

Answer 2

Same as here. The moon operates under the same physics that the earth does! There are just some changes in the amount of gravity because the moon has less mass; and differences in aerodynamics because the moon has no atmosphere.

Answer 3

You need two objects to have a coefficent of friction. If you slid a book across a table on earth, and used the same table on earth, the only things that would change would be the Force of friction and the normal force, not the coefficent of friction.

Answer 4

The moon has many surfaces..
Some rough, some smooth...