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Fluid friction describes the friction between layers of a viscous fluid that are moving relative to each other. [7] [8] Lubricated friction is a case of fluid friction where a lubricant fluid separates two solid surfaces. [9] [10] [11] Skin friction is a component of drag, the force resisting the motion of a fluid across the surface of a body.
Also shown is a flat plate illustrating the effect that orientation has on the relative proportions of skin friction, and pressure difference between front and back. A body is known as bluff or blunt when the source of drag is dominated by pressure forces, and streamlined if the drag is dominated by viscous forces.
Shear velocity, also called friction velocity, is a form by which a shear stress may be re-written in units of velocity.It is useful as a method in fluid mechanics to compare true velocities, such as the velocity of a flow in a stream, to a velocity that relates shear between layers of flow.
Stokes' law is the basis of the falling-sphere viscometer, in which the fluid is stationary in a vertical glass tube.A sphere of known size and density is allowed to descend through the liquid.
The height above ground where surface friction has a negligible effect on wind speed is called the "gradient height" and the wind speed above this height is assumed to be a constant called the "gradient wind speed".
Traction can also refer to the maximum tractive force between a body and a surface, as limited by available friction; when this is the case, traction is often expressed as the ratio of the maximum tractive force to the normal force and is termed the coefficient of traction (similar to coefficient of friction).
Without friction to dissipate a body's energy into heat, the body's energy will trade between potential and (non-thermal) kinetic forms while the total amount remains constant. Any gain of kinetic energy, which occurs when the net force on the body accelerates it to a higher speed, must be accompanied by a loss of potential energy.
Various other characteristics affect the coefficient of drag as well, and are taken into account in these examples. Many sports cars have a surprisingly high drag coefficient, as downforce implies drag, while others are designed to be highly aerodynamic in pursuit of a speed and efficiency, and as a result have much lower drag coefficients.