Explain why sliding friction is less than static friction.

Explanation

To explain why sliding friction is less than static friction, we can break it down into a few key steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Friction**: Friction is the force that opposes the relative motion of two surfaces in contact. It occurs due to the microscopic irregularities on the surfaces.

2. **Static Friction**: When an object is at rest on a surface, the microscopic irregularities of both surfaces interlock. This interlocking creates a strong resistance to the start of motion. The force required to overcome this resistance is called static friction.

...