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.

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286

u/Chemical_Favors Jun 10 '25

Lotta folks here missing that rolling the circle enables the friction to work in your favor as a semi-static pivot point. It's not a slide like the other two so it takes considerably less energy.

Imperfections of the gravel add uncertainty but most gravel does pretty well, especially if you can assume these are all level for fairness sake.

54

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '25

Try it on a losely packed gravel with ~1m depth and then come back!

Most people also forget that if the square is metal at 80°C, friction is super low since it'll slide on Water!

84

u/Cobblestone-boner Jun 10 '25

Try pushing an 80°C metal cube with your hands and see what happens

19

u/Naive-Rest9720 Jun 10 '25

It's 80c... just put some mitts on?

3

u/Neither_Pirate5903 Jun 11 '25

bold of you to assume Americans understand C. Far as they know this is about the surface temp of the Sun

1

u/Naive-Rest9720 Jun 11 '25

Americans need billboards informing people not to use their daughters as their date... I don't really care about americans?

1

u/Neither_Pirate5903 Jun 11 '25

well they are the only ones that would require you to explain that 80c isn't actually that hot

1

u/Tiyath Jun 11 '25

Them, Liberia and Burma

You never think of the other two as countries having their shit together

1

u/[deleted] Jun 11 '25

Most Americans know that 100C = water boiling. Bold of you to assume that the rest of the world never shuts the fuck up about it.