How many bricks can be put without disordering the equilibrium

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on the physics problem of stacking homogeneous bricks on a horizontal surface without losing equilibrium. The initial calculation using the formula (L/2)/(L/5) incorrectly suggests that only two bricks can be stacked. However, further analysis indicates that at least three bricks can be stacked, with some participants suggesting that four bricks may also be stable. The key to solving the problem lies in understanding the center of mass and how it shifts as more bricks are added.

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  • #31
MaiteB said:
In the middle of it?
Yes. Having found that mass centre, how will you decide whether the structure is stable?
 
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  • #32
haruspex said:
Yes. Having found that mass centre, how will you decide whether the structure is stable?
I don't know. Could you help me?
 
  • #33
MaiteB said:
I don't know. Could you help me?
There are several ways in which the stack of bricks could be unstable, since it has four possible points of separation: one between the top two bricks, one between the second and third brick, and so on.
In principle, you need to check each of these.
To check one, consider all the bricks above that point as a single unit. If I place an object on the floor, what determines whether it will stay put or fall over? Where does the mass centre need to be in relation to the base?
 

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