Determination of the coefficient of static friction from circular motion using a smartphone's sensors

Abstract

This paper demonstrates a physics laboratory experiment for determining the coefficient of static friction from circular motion using a smartphone's sensors. The coefficient of static friction between the surface of a smartphone and a turntable can be determined from the limiting value of the static friction that keeps the smartphone in a circular path. The smartphone was used to record an angular speed with an appropriate application (app) to determine the limiting value of angular speed in a circular motion. This limiting value was further calculated to obtain the static friction coefficient. We expect this experiment to be useful for physics teachers to help demonstrate the topic of circular motion. © 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd.