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Re: Automobile tires and friction



Contact surface area is not a factor for kinetic friction but it is a big
factor in static friction. Since the purpose of the tire is to provide
friction and non-slip performance, the wide area does increase the static
friction and thereby improves performance...



PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu writes:
A student asked me last week, during a friction lab, why, if the
coefficient of friction is roughly the same regardless of the contact area
between two surfaces, wide automobile tires are commonly considered to
have
"better traction" than narrow ones. I couldn't come up with a good answer.
Is the superior traction of wide tires a truth or a misconception? Does
"traction" for tires depend, at least in part, on factors other than mu?
Your comments, please.


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