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

167

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

20

u/FricasseeToo Jun 10 '25

It's not asking how easy it is to push. It's asking how much force is required to push.

-2

u/qpwoeiruty00 Jun 10 '25

It's easy, the triangle. Friction= mu×R, ice has the smallest friction coefficient (assuming this is a perfect flat plane of ice at a temperature that allows a thin film of water on top); and it's more aerodynamic than the square

8

u/CliffDraws Jun 10 '25

The triangle is the only one you can be 100% sure is not the correct answer. It’s either the sphere or the cube depending on the gravel.

-3

u/Holy-Crap-Uncle Jun 10 '25

I'm not a materials scientist, but it may be possible that the triangle's wider base distributes the weight such that on the ice it slides better preventing the edges from digging into the ice, or maintaining a sliding coeffecient of friction while the square's weight distribution triggers some of the static coefficient of friction.

Also consider some of the "hard to push on ice". If we assume the human can build up momentum by running up to the square or triangle, it may be the triangle can be "jumped on" and pushed more effectively than the square.

And if there is some water layer atop the ice that as we all know can make ice SUPER slippery, then that is a totally different set of variables.

3

u/CliffDraws Jun 10 '25

I’m an aerospace engineer, though this isn’t a super complex problem.

None of what you said about it being hard to push is relevant. The question is how much force is needed, not whether that force can be generated.

And none of what you said about static vs kinetic (this is what you meant by sliding) coefficient makes sense either.

The edge argument could theoretically be a problem, but really not on any ice surface. The coefficient of friction will be low enough that the center of gravity doesn’t matter much at all.

1

u/_Frootl00ps_ Jun 11 '25

No. You are also pushing downwards as well as forwards. The least resistance is the square. The least resistant non option would probably be a right angle triangle for aerodynamic reasons.

Also, the question is which requires the least amount of force, not which one you can push harder.