Question

Why does it seem harder to start sliding a couch across a carpeted floor than it oes to keep it moving?

Answer 1

When you start sliding the couch, you have to overcome the static friction of the carpeted floor, which is usually very big, especially due to the texture of the carpet. However, as long as you get it moving, you only have to apply the force to overcome the kinetic friction, which is smaller than the static friction.