- #1
Howlin
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Homework Statement
Assume you have 6 white pine boards with all the same breaking force and there is no difference in the boards at all
If you find the force to break one pine board, two pine boards with no gaps and three pine boards on top of each other with no gap.
Does the amount of force required to break two and three pine boards increase linearly e.g) two pine boards required two times the amount of force to break then one board and three pine boards require three times the amount of force to break one pine board? Explain your answer.
Also if you have two white pine board but you have a small gap in between them and break them, does it require more or less force to break it then two pine boards with no gap between them? Explain your answer
Homework Equations
Can't find any
The Attempt at a Solution
At the start i assumed that the force to break two and three white boards would be two and three times the force to break one board
e.g.) if it takes 1100 Newtons to break one pine board, then about 2200 Newtons to break two boards and 3300 Newtons to break three boards.
I have done an experiment on this to test it but the values i get are along the lines of:
1 board -> 1100 Newtons
2 boards -> 2500 Newtons
3 boards -> 4900 Newtons
2 boards with 3.5mm gap -> 2300 Newtons.
I cannot find a reason why the force to break the 2/3 boards is more than twice/triple the force to break one board
Also for the 2 boards with and without a gap I assumed that it would be easier to break it with a gap because of the when the top board breaks, each half board gets an angular momentum which then gets imparted on the next board which would make it easier to break.
I need help with explaining the first part of the question. Any help would be greatly welcomed :)