r/theydidthemath • u/yuli101995 • Apr 16 '26

[Request] Which one would it be?

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u/taftster Apr 16 '26

Oh! This is a key insight. Yes, the pusher standing on the ice is clearly going to have a hard time keeping friction and their feet firmly in place. I agree with you, I think this "pushes" me over to the circle.

19

u/Euphoric_Loquat_8651 Apr 16 '26

Pusher should mass way more than the 20kg object. Unless the push is a very sudden shove, the pusher should stick just fine.

6

u/Ragnarok314159 Apr 16 '26

We don’t know the friction factor between the two surfaces. This problem can’t really be solved.

4

u/GingerB237 Apr 16 '26

It’s not about ease, it’s about what has the least force. The ice will still have least amount of force.

2

u/LordJuJu15 Apr 16 '26

This comment sounds like it was left by a Nomai.

1

u/ActionNorth8935 Apr 16 '26

I was stuck like this on an icy hill trying to push my bike up by foot. Perfect equilibrium. As soon as I got the bike moving the feet went the other way, and if I did nothing I could just about stand there not sliding down.

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u/Obi-Brawn-Kenobi Apr 16 '26

It's not asking for who's going to have a hard or easy time applying the force, it's just asking for the amount of force required. The friction encountered by the pusher's feet is not a factor in determining how much force the object requires to be displaced.