TRIBOLOGY CONTEST

In conjunction with the English Language Carnival, the English Language Department of Sekolah Menengah Teknik Seri Manjung is working in collaboration with the Mathematics and Science departments for a few activities. This is in line with the use of English to teach these subjects. The teacher in charge of three of the activities is Encik Ishak bin Ismail, the head of the Physics Department. He will be assisted by Encik Sazali Musa. One of the activities is called Tribology Contest. Below is an explanation of the theory underlying this particular science. Feel free to click on the highlighted words to hyperlink to the related sites for more detailed explanations of some of the terms mentioned.

Friction is the force that opposes the relative motion or tendency of such motion of two surfaces in contact. It is not, however, a fundamental force, as it originates from the electromagnetic forces and exchange force between atoms.

The coefficient of friction (also known as the frictional coefficient) is a dimensionless scalar value which describes the ratio of the force of friction between two bodies and the force pressing them together.

A common way to reduce friction is by using a lubricant, such as oil, that is placed between the two surfaces, often dramatically lessening the coefficient of friction. The science of friction and lubrication is called tribology. Formally defined, it is the science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion and all practices related thereto. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friction

The Tribology Contest is actually a simple scientific experiment to demonstrate the science of friction and lubrication. This contest is open to students, teachers and members of staff of Sekolah Menengah Teknik Seri Manjung.

To enter the contest, you need:

* a steady and strong hand to manipulate the chopsticks to pick up as many coins as you can in three minutes from a container filled with oil.

* the skill of using a pair of wooden chopsticks.

* a pair of sharp eyes to identify the exact position of the coin you want to pick up with the chopsticks.

Watch out for announcements of the date and time of the competition!!