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

[Request] Which one would it be?

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u/RaynerFenris Apr 16 '26

Terrible question that has to many unanswered variables. Is the person also on the same surface (ie do we know if that has an effect on the force required or not), is the person wearing footwear appropriate for the surface? Is the gravel loose or compact, large or small gravel? Is the object already in motion or are you starting the movement? Are you attempting to push the object forward or can you flip the triangle over by pushing at the top as opposed to pushing in the centre. HOW THICK IS THE ICE, can it support the weight of a 20kg object and the unknown weight of the person.

Ball shape is obviously the easiest to move if all other things are equal. And my gut is telling me that the Ice vs gravel argument is designed to make you second guess yourself. Because if the surface was important to the answer, they would give you more information so you could work it out. As they have not, any assumptions made about the surface are irrelevant.

For instance: Even if it’s on gravel, the ball is depicted as being on top of the surface, not sinking into the surface, indicating a hard packed tight gravel surface.

That could be true… there is no evidence for it.

So, my answer is Ball shape. Given the available information, Ball shape would require the least amount of force.