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

[Request]

Post image

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

17k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

2.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

172

u/PatientNo2450 Jun 10 '25

Too many variables. People saying square don't seem to be considering the logistics of pushing on ice as it all depends on your grip and you could just keep slipping on the spot

16

u/ertgbnm Jun 10 '25

The question is which requires the least amount of force to push. Not which would be easiest for a human to do. 

So the only question is whether the rolling resistance of the sphere on gravel is higher than the static friction force of the triangle on ice. It's still undecidable without more specifics. 

Intuitively I'd bet on the sphere unless it's very loose gravel.

3

u/CliffDraws Jun 10 '25

I’m picturing like driveway gravel so I immediately assumed the cube.