Question

You might have noticed that when used for a long time, slippers with rubber soles become slippery. Explain the reason.

Answer 1

Frictional force:

1. The frictional force would be a force generated by two surfaces that contact and slide against each other.
2. Friction is caused due to the irregularities on the two surfaces in contact.
3. After a long amount of time of wear, the soles of the slippers become smooth. As a result, the friction between the sole and the floor is minimized.
4. The spikes on the soles progressively wear down due to repeated contact on the ground, and the soles become slick.

Therefore, the slipper with rubber soles becomes slippery because after a long time of use the friction between the sole of the slipper and the ground is decreased.