How can an object be at rest without friction?

Friction is a force, and no object can change speed (accelerate/decelerate) without first being acted on by a force. On a frictionless surface (with no other external forces present), there is therefore no force, and so if an object is at rest to start with, it will not start moving.

The same is true, by the way, of a car whose accelerator has been hit. The wheels will turn, but the car won't move! You therefore need friction for the bottom of the wheels to be able to push against the surface, and for the car to be propelled forwards. We normally consider friction to prevent things from slowing down, which can also be true. But it doesn't always stop objects from moving either.

Answered by Tom B. Physics tutor

15710 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Using the principle of the conservation of energy, calculate the maximum speed of a ball of 5.0kg that has been dropped from a height of 20m. (Given that the gravitational field strength is equal to 9.8N/kg)


A single wind turbine has a maximum power output of 2 000 000 W. The wind turbine operated continuously at maximum power for 6 hours. Calculate the energy output in kilowatt-hours of the wind turbine.


If a race car completed a full lap and is where he started, why is his average velocity zero but his average speed isn’t?


If a cricket ball of mass 500g is thrown upwards from the ground with an initial velocity of 20 m/s, how high will the ball reach?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences