The Physics of Knives
The Physics of Knives
This Demonstration shows the force needed for a knife blade of a certain thickness and angle to puncture a surface of a given thickness and type, as well as a contour plot of what parameters a knife must have to puncture a certain target at a certain force. Included is a visual representation of the knife-surface setup. This model assumes an unbreakable blade and an ideal surface that deforms elastically before fracturing.