eli5 Why do trains with steel wheels have traction on steel rails, but if your brakes on your car are used up and become steel on steel they dont work anymore?
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The force of friction is equal to the fraction coefficient times the force normal to the surface. In an object moving on flat ground the force normal to the surface is the objects mass x acceleration of gravity.
Or F_friction = C* m*g
The friction call fission for steel on steel is pretty low. However, trains are really really heavy. So the total force of friction is large!
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