Does it take more energy to open a door that’s closed or one that’s swinging shut?

Question

Does the answer change depending on if the door is push / pull?

In: 0

Answer 1

If it’s closed and locked, that’s your winner right there.
If we’re assuming all else is the same, then to open it from rest means you apply enough force to make the hinge rotate outward. Let’s can that amount of force X. If it’s swinging shut, you first have to apply enough force to bring it to rest. Let’s call that amount of force Y. You can probably see that whatever actual amount X or Y might be, X+Y will be greater than just X.