The dictionary meaning of friction is the resistance that is created when two objects are moving relative to one another. Seen through this lens, friction appears to be an impediment to movement, in turn to progress. We would like to turn the table around and think of friction as a necessary ingredient for movement and for creation.
The universe may be free of intent, but it is not free from the laws of physics. One such law is about friction. Friction exists due to intermeshing of the irregularities on seemingly smooth surfaces. The universe cannot function without friction. Without friction, an object that is in motion would be in eternal motion, as per Newton’s First Law. On an inclined plane, friction is the driving force in the war against gravity. Without friction there would be no fire; as it is friction that converts kinetic energy into heat energy and causes the initial spark. Friction comes in various forms. In the solid world, there is static friction between two stationary objects, and kinetic friction between two moving objects. Fluid flows are subject to viscous friction, which plays an important role in the flow of blood and other biological fluids.
Now, let us shut the physics textbook and look around for beauty that results from friction. In this photo essay we present glimpses of beauty caused by friction, as observed in everyday life and captured by the photographer’s lens. The object that you see in the image has been party to an exchange involving friction, over a period. The other party in the exchange cannot be seen in the image, but you could very well imagine its identity. It could be dust particles carried by the wind, the flow of a river, the ocean’s tide, the sweaty palms of passengers in the train, the shoes of passengers in an auto rickshaw, something else altogether, or one or more of the aforementioned entities.
These interactions follow the same general plot. Over a prolonged period, one entity is subjected to an interaction involving friction with another entity. One interaction does nothing, but carry it on for years, and you see a transformation. As you would witness here, the transformation can lead to beauty. This is beauty created without any design. Even the evolutionary mechanism that leads to beauty in the natural world is absent here. We feel this is the narrative of the universe that continues to unfold in unexpected ways, of its own accord. Friction provides the grammar for this narrative of the universe.
Image courtesy: Preeti Pansare
17 Comments
Santosh.V.kamble
Very good article Tapan & Preeti.
Anand
This is real beauty in Physics!
Deepali Dangi
Interesting thought ! Good depiction.
Vinayak Pandit
Interesting. You have made us aware of the beauty in mundane sights one encounters every day, but seldom if ever notices.
However, the preamble about friction is a tad too long.
Pancham.
Wow. Nice article. An interesting take on something so common.
Pearl Dsouza
Beautiful… So very beautiful!
Absolutely loved the pictures and the writing.
Sonal m m
Love the subject!! It’s about a dialogue. The darkness is drawn to light, but light does not know it; light must absorb the darkness and therefore meet its own extinguishment..
Rajesh P Behere
Read. Gr8 images !!!
Interactions n transformations are related not only to nature but also to human behavior .
Your analysis on ‘friction’ shows deep understanding on photography .
Friction doesn’t every time erode or cut ” relations “.on the contrary it bridges the gap from different angles n shape that “thing” more subtle .
All the best wishes to u both for your new endeavor …..
Sulakshana Mahajan
Thank you Preeti and Tapan for this wonderful piece of writing and pictures. Looking forward to more such work.
Anupa Gade
Brilliant!!
A completely different perspective for our day to day encounters..
Prashant Desai
फारच सुंदर लेख आहे आणि भौतिक विज्ञान फोटो द्वारे सहज पणे समजले.
शाळेत असल्यापासूनच तुझ्यात वैज्ञानिक दडलेला होता.
Shafee
All our lives are governed by friction, but the conflict that interactions cause help us delve deeper into the story that moment or object has undergone so far. Your article precisely highlights these moments as an engaging visual prelude. The nuances that these photographs highlight and the author’s interest in human behaviour make this a compelling start to a story that is about to unfold.
Santosh Saravanan
Beauty in tribology. Especially loved the rusted window.
Bhalchandra
Beautiful and thought provoking
Richa Rauniar
Very interesting and artistic take to something as mundane as friction! Beautifully articulated!
Vaishali Dangi
What a beautiful perspective on something as common and real in our day to day lives as “friction”….almost compels one to think that although it can lead to destruction and turmoil, the result maynot necessarily be bad, it can be “beautiful” in a very abstract or literary sense. Enjoyed reading it. Keep it up. Dr Vaishali Dangi
Roohie Pansare
Amazing write up! Friction explained in a very creative and thought provoking manner! A nice read.