Create a Physics World account to get access to all available digital issues of the monthly magazine. Your Physics World ...

Without the force called friction, cars would skid off the roadway, humans couldn't stride down the sidewalk, and objects would tumble off your kitchen counter and onto the floor. Even so, how ...

At a busy street crossing, people wait for the signal to change. When one person steps out first, others soon follow. Scientists in Amsterdam have found that this same kind of behavior happens at a ...

Here’s the rub with friction — scientists don’t really know how it works. Although humans have been harnessing its power since rubbing two sticks together to build the first fire, the physics of ...

A suspended apparatus used to minimize friction during the experiment. The heavier brass cylinder and lighter ping-pong ball collide repeatedly against the transparent wall, reproducing 31 collisions ...

Whenever you get around to doing dishes, how easily water slides down a dirty plate depends on how uneven and crusty the plate’s surface is. At the nanoscale, however, where surface features can be ...

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - Covey Denton is back on ENC at Three to show off some new, cool science tricks with a back-to-school twist. On today’s segment, Denton is teaching us about friction using ...

Because of friction, sleds don't technically touch the snow and instead ride on a small layer of water created by the heat of the sled sliding down the hill. Sledding is one of many ways Wisconsinites ...

A good sweater is like a cozy hug made out of yarn. For that, you can thank friction. A new study reveals how knit fabrics can take on versatile shapes that allow them to conform to the contours of a ...