Contact Forces: Force of Friction and Normal Force

Fc = Contact Force between two surfaces.
= Force that the surface of one object exerts on the surface of another object.
n = Normal Force.
= Perpendicular component of the contact force which is always at 90oto the contact surface.
= "Force pressing the surfaces together."
f = Force of friction.
= Parallel component of the contact force.
= "Force of sliding or static friction"

For Objects at Rest:

f £ µs n
µs= Coefficient of static friction

fmax = µs n

For Objects in Motion:

f = µk n
µk= Coefficient of kinetic friction

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