Enter the mass of the vehicle and the coefficient of friction between the wheel and the road into the calculator to determine the tractive force.

## Tractive Force Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Tractive Force.

TF = u*m*g
• Where TF is the tractive force (N)
• u is the coefficient of friction between the wheel and road
• m is the mass of the vehicle (kg)
• g is the acceleration due to gravity (m/s^2)

To calculate the tractive force, multiply the coefficient of friction by the mass times acceleration due to gravity.

## What is a Tractive Force?

Definition:

In mechanics, the tractive force is the component of a force vector parallel to the ground that is applied to a body to cause it to move in the desired direction. Tractive force is also commonly used synonymously with traction force.

## How to Calculate Tractive Force?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate the Tractive Force.

First, determine the mass of the vehicle. In this example, the vehicle weighs 950 kg.

Next, determine the coefficient of friction between the wheel and road. The average coefficient of friction between tires and roads is .7.

Finally, calculate the tractive force using the formula above:

TF = u*m*g

TF = .7*950*9.81

TF = 6523.65 N