Submitted by -r-e-d-d-i-t-is-cool t3_yidz3d in explainlikeimfive
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-r-e-d-d-i-t-is-cool OP t1_iuivbht wrote
Sorry what do you mean by 'higher up'?
eloel- t1_iuiyui1 wrote
Farther away from the surface
drafterman t1_iui4yc2 wrote
The answer is not never, but it's just unlikely.
To help understand this, it might be helpful to consider a 2D rectangle first. Imagine a circle enscribed about the rectangle, like this:
Where the diagonals meet (at the center of the rectangle) is the center of gravity (assuming uniform density). However the rectangle lands on the table, if you draw a line from the center of gravity to the table, that line will pass through one of the sides of the rectangle. Whichever side it passes through will be the side it ultimately lands on.
As we can see with the diagram, the angles that will ultimately result in it landing on a long side are so much bigger than the angles that will ultimately result in it landing on a short side.
So whenever the rectangle makes contact with the table, the angle is going to be extremely likely to be one that results in it landing on a long edge rather than a short one.
itwasyousirnayme t1_iui7dhh wrote
Well, it will sometimes do that, but it is very rare. It will take the path of least resistance. In this case that means it will usually land on a long side, since to land on a short side and stay there, it has to balance its footprint against its tendency to fall over. It’s the same as when you relax your body, you tend to fall into a reclined position where your body is more horizontal than vertical.
DavidRFZ t1_iui9ec1 wrote
Yeah, we had a game when I was little where oddly shaped objects were rolled. I think they were shaped like pigs.
The “less balanced” results were rare but they did happen once in a while. The rarity was worked into the game — you got more points for them.
Edit — I found the old game on Wikipedia.
[deleted] t1_iui4bqp wrote
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NoSoulsINC t1_iui4fq1 wrote
I don’t think an explain like I’m 5 is needed, but the long sides have more weight so it will always fall with weight down. Like dropping a hammer, it’s not going to land on the handle, but will land on the head. You may be able to balance it on the short side, or handle of the hammer, but any movement is going to cause it to fall with the weight of the long side wants to pull it down.
Phage0070 t1_iuimxap wrote
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[deleted] t1_iuk5g4r wrote
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eloel- t1_iui4j3n wrote
For the same reason a coin can be balanced on an edge, but rarely if ever lands on it when flipped. The center of mass is higher up when it sits on its smallest edge, which means any imbalance will knock it on a different face. Since dice and coins always have a horizontal and angular movement to them, it's very rare that everything lines up perfectly.