Forces lab · friction

Starting force vs sliding force

Total mass500 g

Normal force4.90 N

Scale0.00 N

Peak held—

Pull horizontally · watch the reading peak, then drop the moment it breaks free

Load the tray, then pull. The scale ramps up steadily until the tray breaks free.

Load the tray

The tray is 400 g. Lay hooked masses on it sideways — the scale hooks the one nearest you.

Masses: 100 g · total 500 g

Plot against normal force instead of mass, so the slope is the coefficient Add measurement error, like a real spring scale read by eye Slow motion, to watch the needle drop

Trials

Starting and sliding force for each load
#	Mass (g)	Start (N)	Slide (N)

The two forces

Force to start it moving the peak, just before it breaks free

Force to keep it moving the steady reading while sliding

Both graphs share the same axes, so the steeper line is the bigger force.

How to use this simulation

Tap hooked masses in the Load the tray tray to lay them on the tray. Use Remove last mass or Down to one to change the load. The tray itself is 400 g, and the scale needs at least one mass to hook.
Press Pull the scale. The reading climbs steadily while the tray sits still, peaks right as it breaks free, then drops and holds steady while it slides.
Watch the peak-hold ring stay at the highest reading even as the live needle falls back, and watch the chart under the bench trace the pull over time.
Each pull is saved as a row in the Trials table and a point on both force graphs, so you can compare loads.
Turn on Plot against normal force to read each graph's slope as the coefficient of friction, Add measurement error so repeated pulls don't land on the same number, or Slow motion to watch the needle drop closely.
Press Reset to get ready for another pull, Clear trials to wipe the table and graphs, or Copy data to copy your results for a spreadsheet.