Was playing Don’t Break the Ice today and I was wondering if someone could explain the science concept behind what holds the ice pieces together. Preferably a little deeper than just “pressure of pieces in a small space.” I looked online but it didn’t help me out very much lol.
Eta this is literally to explain it to a 5 year old
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It’s all about forces and friction. “Pressure of pieces in a small space” is basically right, but the concept of friction helps complete the picture for the blocks themselves.
Friction is basically what resists two surfaces moving against each other while in contact. The strength of that force is based (simplified) on how rough the surfaces are, and how much force is pushing those surfaces together.
Put two of the blocks side by side and touch their surfaces lightly together like they’re in the game board. Try to rub them together or slide them past each other – relatively easy, right? Do it again, but push them together harder; you’ll find it more difficult.
The pieces in that game all exert forces on each other which make the force of friction between them greater than the force of gravity pulling the pieces downwards. This is visually noticeable in the rows and columns of blocks that supply lines of force parallel to the floor, which helps friction stop any given block from sliding out of contact with its neighbour (and vice versa). The force that pushes on the outermost blocks and translates through is from the frame. That is from some kind of compression much like you provide with your hands earlier. This may be by the materials being compressible – squeezing the blocks into a frame that is slightly too small to fit them all, or some kind of spring that applies that force around the edge to the blocks.
When you use the mallet to knock a block away, think of it like applying a force that *helps* gravity, and exceeds the force that friction applies *opposing gravity* and opposing the mallet’s force. The blocks stay in place as long as Gravity + the Force applied by the mallet do not exceed the force of friction between the blocks.
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