How to Answer: What is the difference between static friction and kinetic friction?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Mechanical Engineer job interview.
33. What is the difference between static friction and kinetic friction?
How to Answer
Your interviewer will likely ask you knowledge-based questions to understand how well you are able to explain concepts to others. Be prepared for questions like this one by practicing a few possibilities ahead of time. In this case, static friction describes friction between two solid objects that are not moving relative to each other. If you park your car on a hill, static friction can prevent it from rolling down the hill, even though there aren't any moving components. This is different from kinetic friction, which typically describes the friction between two objects that are moving relative to each other. Static friction is typically higher than kinetic friction, but this is not always the case.
Written by Jason Toby on October 12th, 2020
Answer Example
"Static friction and kinetic friction both refer to force that resists relative motion between two objects. The difference is that static friction refers to friction between objects at rest, whereas kinetic friction describes friction between moving objects. If my car broke down on the way to this interview and I were to push it, then static friction would pertain to the initial force it would take to get it moving. Kinetic friction would describe the force required to keep it moving once it is in motion. In both cases, the friction would be between the rubber tires and the asphalt surface of the road and proportional to the normal force being exerted on the vehicle."
Written by Jason Toby on October 12th, 2020