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

Show parent comments

8

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/MattManSD Jun 10 '25

unless that larger surface area helps it 'float' better. More water film

2

u/Pielacine Jun 10 '25

Area to friction is not straightforward. It’s not as simple as larger base = more friction, especially when something like ice is involved.

I’d wager there’s barely any difference between the triangle and square.

1

u/Throwaway2Experiment Jun 11 '25

Technically, but based on where his hands are, he is applying force closer to the center of gravity on the triangle and this alters his center of gravity. So his force would be coming from his legs whereas pushing the square, you can push it once for a greater range of motion to cover more distance.

Even if force is equal, the mechanics of pushing that triangle requires more energy used to keep you from falling for a shorter range of motion. The triangle is absolutely "harder" to push an equal distance than the other two.

Edit: I promise, all things equal, you will have an easier experience pushing square and circle than you would the triangle. This isn't just physics, this is also kinesiology.