Re: "Roadrunner logic"

[tsm1@domain.elided (Tom Mandera)]

>Tom Mandera wrote:
>
>> Once I figure out how much static weight the snow will support, we add in
>> another variable.. as your truck is MOVING, it "weighs" less.. 
>
>Dunno where you studied physics, Tom, but this sounds waaaayyyyy too much
>like "Roadrunner logic" to me.  Does this mean that if the Coyote runs fast
>enough, he'll ultimately weigh so little that he'll NEVER fall into the
>canyon? Or that at some point (when he travels fast enough to become
>lighter than the surrounding air) he'll actually begin to rise?
>
>I seem to recall learning that the horizontal and the vertical vectors were
>entirely independent of one another. <g>

Yes n'  No.

I didn't mean to imply the truck will PHYSICALLY weigh less, but rather it
will spend less time on a given patch, and thus "impact" the area less.

So.. perhaps I'm looking more at the SnowPlow effect.. if you drive your
Scout very slowly, you will sink farther into the snow (same weight, but
spend longer on the same patch of snow), if you drive quickly, you will be
continually hitting new snow, and compressing it.. before you "fully"
compress the snow you've already driven over.

Or, for those snow-challenged folks.. how about thick mud?  If you stand
*still*, you'll sink.. to a point. (hopefully, that point is NOT any farther
down than you are tall!).. but, if you RUN across the mud, you may only sink
half-way as far into the mud, before you jump out of the current foot-hole
and make your way to a new one..  There's sufficient resistance at a certain
point to support the next "leap".. 

In reality, it would be rather "shallow" mud, otherwise it would "ooze" over
the top of your boot, preventing you from "running" with any amount of
speed, but I do believe I'm thinking somewhat clearly on this!

In snow things are a little different (less fluid-like than mud), but I
still think faster leaves less of a footprint..

Remember that, while Vertical and Horizontal vectors ARE independent, we
still have a difference between STATIC friction (when you're tires roll) vs.
SLIDING friction (when those tires lock up).

As for where I studied Physics.. well, I did GREAT in HS.. then I went to
Penn State.. something about taking Physics at 8am, from a non-English
speaking professor (which also happened to NOT be one of the non-English
languages I *do* know (Spanish & German)) that probably did more to HURT my
Physics understanding than help it.. ;)

Somehow this is beginning to remind me of "left-hand thread on right thread
bolt"... d'oh.

Maybe if I went to bed BEFORE it became tomorrow that would help... ;)

-Tom (who would love to know more about almost everything, but now lacks the
time!)