Question

You tend to slip when stepping on a banana peel lying on a smooth surface. This is due to:
(A) Increased friction
(B) Reduced friction
(C) Gravity
(D) Characteristics of the banana peel

Answer 1

Hint: A force is responsible, which comes to play, when a body tries to slide on the other. Depending upon the surface, it can move easily or it requires more effort.

Complete step by step answer:
-In the given question, we are supplied with the following data:
We tend to slip when we step on a banana peel lying on a smooth surface.We are asked to answer the reason why it is so.
-To begin with, we would like to highlight the fact that whenever we walk on a surface, we apply the force with our leg towards the back side which is the action force, which according to Newton's third law of motion, gives a reaction force too. The direction of the reaction force is towards the front, which pushes us forward. This is possible because of frictional force. In many cases, we try to reduce friction, like in case of machinery parts, we apply lubricants to reduce friction. However, in many other cases, frictional force is indispensable. Without friction we won’t be able to walk or run properly. To have a solid grip, we want a good amount of frictional force between our feet and the surface. But if somehow, if we step on a banana peel, the frictional force between the surface and the feet suddenly decreases and we slip and tend to fall. The feet now experience less frictional force than earlier, so it cannot make a stable stand on the ground.

The correct option is B.

Note: While answering this question, we should remember that gravity has nothing to do the case. Gravity always remains constant and it does not even whether we fall of keep walking. It is the same everywhere. Coefficient of friction reduces when there is banana peel lying on the surface.