1) Friction arises due to contact between two surfaces and depends on the normal and tangential forces between the surfaces. The normal force acts perpendicular to the surfaces in contact while friction acts parallel but opposite to the direction of relative motion.
2) Friction problems involve finding equilibrium between the forces acting on an object, with one of the forces (friction) being dependent on another (normal force).
3) The coefficient of friction determines the maximum static and kinetic frictional forces, which are equal to the normal force multiplied by the respective coefficient.