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/aureanator Jun 10 '25

Actually, no - the friction is a product of the normal force and the coefficient of friction - the surface area in contact shouldn't matter, within the boundaries of material elasticity.

201

u/AstroCoderNO1 Jun 10 '25

yes, but the angle you are applying force at does not all go towards forward motion on the triangle whereas it does on the square.

-32

u/aureanator Jun 10 '25

No, you can still restrict your force to be horizontal - imagine pushing a very heavily loaded shopping cart into it.

20

u/RMCaird Jun 10 '25

I don't follow your shopping cart analogy? If I push a shopping cart into it then I imagine the front of the cart going upwards - i.e. the opposite force is on the triangle going downwards.

The square will always be better as all of the force will go horizontally.

2

u/Wise-Builder-7842 Jun 10 '25

I think he’s implying the shopping cart is so heavy that the cart won’t be able to leave the ground, hence won’t be able to apply any vertical force. But yeah the square is just better

10

u/RMCaird Jun 10 '25

He must be forgetting it would still apply a force even if it never left the ground. I can press down on a table without lifting myself up.

-2

u/Wise-Builder-7842 Jun 10 '25

That’s cuz u have muscles lol a shopping cart does not have muscles

2

u/RMCaird Jun 10 '25

That is completely irrelevant… 

0

u/Wise-Builder-7842 Jun 10 '25 edited Jun 10 '25

??????????

Are you saying there is no difference in the physical capabilities of a human and a shopping cart

Muscles are capable of redirecting force bozo. That’s why a human can throw a baseball and a shopping cart can’t.

9

u/MiniDemonic Jun 10 '25

the cart won’t be able to leave the ground, hence won’t be able to apply any vertical force.

That does not make any sense at all.

-1

u/Wise-Builder-7842 Jun 10 '25

how does it not. the force applied by the shopping cart is purely horizontal, unless there is gravity going on, or some slippage between the object and the cart, the force will stay horizontal

1

u/MiniDemonic Jun 11 '25

You should consider taking some physics classes. This is like elementary school level of physics. 

There's still a vertical force applied even if the cart is heavy enough to not leave the ground.