Can't Pick Yourself Up on a Chair?

  • Context: High School 
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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the physics of lifting oneself while seated on a chair. When a person applies an upward force on the chair, an equal downward force is exerted on them due to Newton's Third Law of Motion. This results in a net force of zero, preventing the individual from lifting the chair while seated. The explanation highlights the concept of force transfer between the person and the chair, illustrating the principles of rigid body dynamics.

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decibel
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how come if u sit down on a chair, you can't pick ur self up with your hands
like say u sit on a chair and u cross ur legs with nothing touching the ground or floor, and taking ur hands and tryin to lift the chair with u on it...
how come you can't do that
 
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decibel said:
how come if u sit down on a chair, you can't pick ur self up with your hands
like say u sit on a chair and u cross ur legs with nothing touching the ground or floor, and taking ur hands and tryin to lift the chair with u on it...
how come you can't do that
Because if you apply an upwards force on the chair, it applies an equal force downwards on you (on your hands, but you're considered a rigid body in this case, so it's downwards on you as a whole). Normally, if you were not on top of the chair (if you were on the ground) then you would end up transferring this force downwards onto the ground. However, since you're on the chair, you transfer it downwards to the chair. The force that you apply upwards on the chair is ultimately counterbalanced by the force that you end up applying downwards on the chair, resulting, of course, in no lifting of the chair.
 
I'll tell you one thing, that would look damn funny :biggrin:
 

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