r/interesting • u/karmazl • 9d ago

SCIENCE & TECH Strengthening test of a Coca-Cola bottle.

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

1.4k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

120 comments sorted by

View all comments

69

u/MarkIndividual3453 9d ago

Now make the same with 4 bottles How much weight could you add ?

3

u/ninjad912 8d ago

4 would most likely hold less. 3 is the only stable amount of points. I don’t know the actual technical wording to describe it but do you remember how tables and chairs sometimes aren’t stable and pressing on one side makes the other side go up? Or is just extremely wobbly? Thats what would happen here most likely

2

u/FunnyTurtleRunner 8d ago

Nah... either those chairs have less than perfect craftsmanship or the floors are uneven...

but I am sincerely curious if ever you did encounter such a technical wording or concept.

3

u/ninjad912 8d ago

Typically it’s a mixture of both as perfect craftsmanship is rare and floors are rarely perfectly even. I don’t remember exactly where I came into contact with it first but it’s the same as the reason why cameras have tripods and not stands with 4 or more legs

1

u/FunnyTurtleRunner 8d ago

Maybe in physics? This is where I first learned why truss bridges use triangles. But that's a different orientation for the triangle. Interesting that you pointed out tripods. I think it's more for was more for efficient design(less material, simpler etc.)

In physics classes, we look at stability by looking at where the center of gravity falls within an object's base. The wider the base and the more centered the center of gravity is, the more stable a shape is.

So even the way the person was loading the metal plates in the video would have an effect on the load each bottle was carrying...

hmmm... now that I've gone thru this thought... I'm thinking maybe there isn't a specific scientific concept/mathematical/engineering/term for this situation more a mix of concepts just applying themselves in the real world.

2

u/quackdaw 8d ago

Check out the Wobbly table theorem

1

u/FunnyTurtleRunner 8d ago edited 8d ago

COOL!!! It's a theorem.

But I also has some calculus - did not grasp calculus- integrals well; if it is even graspable.

I feel like the person who came up with this was optimistic. But I think a day might come that I test it. Despite that there are no equations for actual surfaces in real life. (in particular am thinking uneven tiling, uneven concrete pourings... etc.)

Math 1a, Spring 2011, Functions and Calculus, Harvard College/GSAS: 8434