Question

You're stacking materials on the third floor of an apartment building. how close to the floor's edge can you put the stack

Answer 1

The students need to know the dimensions of the books and the coefficient of friction between them to determine how many they can stack before tipping occurs.

Step-by-step explanation:

The students are attempting to determine how many books they can stack before the stack becomes unstable. To make this calculation, they need to understand the principle of the center of mass and the concept of tipping. As each book overhangs by 1 inch, the center of mass shifts. The stack will tip once the center of mass goes past the edge of the book at the bottom. They need to know the dimensions of the books and possibly the coefficient of friction between them, which affects how much each book can overhang without slipping. Without this, they cannot calculate the exact number of books they can stack before the pile becomes unstable.

Answer 2

To determine how many books can be stacked overhanging each other before tipping, students need to understand the physics of center of mass and equilibrium, considering the size and weight of the books, and how stacking affects the stack's center of mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to a physics problem where students are stacking books in such a way that each book overhangs the one below it by 1 inch. To calculate how many books can be stacked before the stack tips over, students would need to understand the principles of center of mass and equilibrium. Specifically, they should know the dimensions of the books, the weight of each book, and the mechanics of how stacking affects the center of mass. The total overhang allowed before tipping occurs is dependent on the cumulative effect of each book's overhang and how this shifts the center of mass of the whole stack. Generally, the stack can overhang up to a point where the center of mass of the stack is still within the base of the bottom book. This problem is a classic demonstration of the physics concept of stable equilibrium.