Monday, November 12, 2007

trash cans and newton

I was in Moanalua Gardens today and as I was walking in I noticed a trash canbeing held up by rocks. I don't really know why it needed rocks to support it, but I do know that there is some physics involved. The weight (massxgravity) of the trashcan and the rocks is being balanced by the normal force of the ground. The weight of the trashcan is also pushing against the rocks, which are also pushing it back because for every force there is an equal and opposite one. The forces are balanced because the trashcan and rocks are at rest. There is also only vertical forces acting upon the trashcan and rocks. Although it is strange to have a trashcan sitting on rocks, at least there's some physics involved!

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