Originally Posted by
jon3950
Your first sentence is correct.
Friction, or your resistance, is simply the force applied normal (or perpendicular) to the surface multiplied by the co-efficient of friction. The area has no effect.
The torque you apply to the nut rotates it, thus moving it down the thread on the bolt. Moving it down the bolt pushes it against the mating surface. This applies a force to the surface. It doesn’t matter how big the area of the mating surfaces are, the force applied is the same. (The pressure on the surface will change because pressure equals force divided by area.)
Because the nut is turning, it is also trying to move across the surface and friction is the force resisting this movement.
If the mating surface is flat then the normal force is the full force applied. If the surface is tapered then the normal force is the applied force multiplied by the sine of the angle between them.
Cheers,
Jon