The
Physics of Worm Friction
Friction
| In this episode,
an Alaskan Bull Worm terrorizes Bikini Bottom and Sandy
decides to take on this worm. She finds out that the
worm is too large for her to handle. The worm speeds off
with Spongebob and Sandy on its back and it is up to us
to figure out how large the coefficient of friction had
to be for them to not slip off the worm. |
 |
 |
To find the
coefficient of friction (μk), we know
that the force of friction (Ff)
has to be at least equal to the force trying to push
them off (Fp). The worm sped
up to 30 meters per second in 5 seconds and Sandy weighs
1 kg. Ff=Fp FP=m·a
Ff=FN·mk |
