Structural Analysis of a Pyramid
Structural Analysis of a Pyramid
A pyramid with a square base of identical spheres fails structurally for certain coefficients of static friction for the stacking surface. As the number and mass of the balls increase, the mass of the pyramid applies an increasing force to each ball on the bottom layer. This force eventually exceeds the capacity of the frictional force, which is limited by the coefficient of static friction between the floor and the balls. The first points of failure are the balls along the perimeter of the base, excluding the corners; these balls are colored red but change to gray when the component of that is parallel to the floor exceeds the capacity of the frictional force.
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