If we push on a heavy crate to the right and it slidesw, what is the direction of friction on the crate?
Friction makes it harder to push. There must be an opposing force. That should be a clue. What do you think?
Remember that you are pushing "to the right"
The question is a bit confusing since one usually thinks of pushing something forward, not to the right or left.
in the opposite direction, so it would be to the left
When you push a heavy crate to the right and it slides, the direction of friction on the crate will be in the opposite direction to its motion. According to Newton's third law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, your action is to push the crate to the right, so the reaction force will be friction acting in the opposite direction. Friction always opposes the relative motion between two surfaces in contact.
Now, to understand how to determine the direction of friction, you can follow these steps:
1. Identify the direction of the applied force: In this case, you are pushing the crate to the right. So, the applied force is in the rightward direction.
2. Determine the direction of motion: Since the crate slides to the right, its motion is in the rightward direction.
3. Apply Newton's third law: Knowing that friction acts opposite to the direction of motion, the frictional force will be directed to the left.
Therefore, the direction of friction on the crate, when pushing it to the right and it slides, is to the left.