Question

we examined the concept of friction and how it affects everything we do. Air resistance is an important type of friction that you don’t want to forget about as you prepare your post. Consider what the world would be like without friction. For example, in a world without friction, the pitcher in a baseball game can still pitch the ball because he can push off the pitching rubber. The pitching rubber is the rubber slab atop the pitching mound that a pitcher uses to push off to gain velocity. But what happens when the batter swings or when the ball hits the catcher’s mitt?

Now, think of one of your favorite sports or another activity you enjoy. How would the action of that activity be different in a world without friction? In your initial post to the discussion, describe your activity and then respond to the following:

1. Describe at least three ways your activity would change if friction were taken out of the scenario.
2. Does friction make it easier or harder to participate in your activity?
3. What are some advantages and disadvantages that you might encounter if there wasn’t friction in our world?

Answer 1

For this particular case let me eleborate the case of football (or soccer) in a world devoid of friction. Imagine if there were no friction and you had to play football. How difficult pr different would that be? Very!

To begin with, you won't be doing any running after the ball. All you would be able to do is slide from one end to another as if in ice hockey. Without being able to run, you would loose control over your movements and one simple push from your opponent would send you both sliding in opposite directions, making it even harder for the referee to decide who pushed whom.

Secondly, imagine if a person manages to stand for a while and has the ball just in front of him. How does he kick? Well, he tries. As long as he kicks in the middle of the ball it will fly. But chances will be much more for the feet to just slide over the ball.

Goalkeeper would have keep hold of one of the poles to keep himself still. But then he won't be able to do even that! His hands would be sliding over the pole. And it would be very hard to even stay still in front of the goal post.

But, Amidst all this chaos one clear advantage is that they won't be spending all that much energy in the ground sliding everywhere. Plus soccer would be a lot more hilarious with everyone just sliding everywhere on the ground. (I assume audience would be falling off their seats in the stands with laughter and the frictionless world that they love in!)