does anyone know what dynamical mass has to do with a friction experiment? (I hate my physics class =] )

Is it something to do with friction caused by inter-molecular forces?

Dynamic friction? Or static friction?

Dynamic friction involves what inertia can overcome not only of intermolecular forces, but also of the microscopic rough of the surface.

I am trying to answer a question a friend had, she asked:
"do you know the difference between gravitational mass and dynamical mass and how this pertains to out P10 Lab Report" (lab is an Atwood's machine) however I don’t even know what question she is looking at, because I see nothing pertaining to dynamical mass anywhere in our lab.

I assume its kinetic friction, because the Atwood's machine was moving when we did readings.

By "dynamical mass", she probably means "inertial mass".

Inertial mass is the mass in the equation F=ma, which gives the resistance of an object to being accelerated.

Gravitational mass is the mass in the equation F=m'g, which measures how an object responds to gravitational force.

By experiment, it seems that m=m' always, but there is no reason in Newtonian theory as to why this ought to be the case. The theory of relativity actually explains that m and m' are really the same thing. There is no "gravitational mass". All mass is inertial mass.

yeah, thats is what I told her. but I didnt know what dynamical mass was, so I figured I woudl check here.

What's all this got to do with friction?!

that's the million dolar question