The Kinetic Friction on Snow and Ice

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents many experimental data of friction between a slider and snow or ice in relation to ski-ing and skating. Measurements of the kinetic coefficient of friction μ k for a metallic or plastic-resin ring in contact with a snow surface were made using an oscillograph. The mechanism of this friction was analysed through oscillograms showing frictional resistance between a slider and a snow surface together with observations of the real contact area between the surface of the slider and snow grains. It was shown that friction at low sliding speeds caused plastic deformation within snow, but, when sliding velocity was increased, a stick-slip friction occurred accompanying fractures and abrasions of snow grains. Since the laboratory experiment of friction on snow is limited to a range of low sliding speeds, the measurements of μ k for high sliding velocities were made by the use of practical skis. The value of μ K for practical skis increased from 0.03 to 0.1 as the speed increased from for velocities 5 to 22 m/s. The measurements μ k for skates were made using a specially designed device on skating rinks prepared both on natural lake ice and artificial ice. The temperature dependence of μ k was studied for the blades of skates; μ k showed a minimum value for both rinks around —1 to — °C, namely, 0.003 for the natural lake ice and 0.007 8 for the artificial rink ice.