The document introduces friction and wedges. It defines static and kinetic friction, and how they relate to the normal and applied horizontal forces on a block. It provides an example problem of calculating the force needed to drag a sand sled up a slope. Another example calculates the forces required to start, keep, and stop a block from sliding on an inclined plane based on coefficients of static and kinetic friction. Wedges are described as using friction to apply large forces with small adjustments. An example calculates the minimum force to lift a heavy block with two wedges.