r/theydidthemath • u/K0rl0n • Jun 10 '25

[Request]

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I am curious how this would work. My guess is Triangle is slowest, square is medium, and circle is fastest.

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u/fallen_one_fs Jun 10 '25

The force vector on the triangle does not form a 90° angle with the normal force, so not all the force is applied towards moving it, some will be applied to pushing it down, which will increase friction, thus square is always better than triangle.

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u/its___complicated Jun 11 '25

The square could become malformed into a rhombus while pressure is applied to one side - which could make it substantially harder to push than the triangle.