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When two identical powered toy cars are tethered together in a tug-of-war on the same surface, they often end up spinning their wheels or barely moving. The forward motion of each car depends on the force of friction acting between the rotating wheels and the surface. Since both cars experience nearly equal friction forces on the same surface, neither gains a significant advantage, and the result is a stalemate.

To demonstrate how friction plays a crucial role, Dr. Dawson tapes sandpaper under one of the cars. The sandpaper increases the friction force that car experiences because the coefficient of friction between the wheel and the sandpaper is greater than that between the wheel and the smooth table. This allows the car on the sandpaper to push more effectively against the surface and pull the other car, while the car on the table lacks sufficient grip and just spins its wheels.

The two cars also experience different types of friction. The car on the sandpaper operates under static friction, which occurs when there is no relative motion between the wheel and the surface—the point of contact appears momentarily at rest. The car on the table, on the other hand, experiences kinetic friction due to slipping. Because the coefficient of static friction is higher than that of kinetic friction, the car on the sandpaper can generate a greater friction force. By changing the contact surface, Dr. Dawson increases the maximum possible static friction, allowing one car to clearly overpower the other in the tug-of-war.

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