Random Friday Volume: October Number: 10

[jbiscuit]

Deep thoughts...by Yellow Wagon


Shapes.

Lets pretend boys and girls that there is only 1 shape in our universe to contend with. No rhombus's's's. No rectangles. No parallelograms. One shape only to build everything we know around that. Think about it. If you choose square as the best, then there are no wheels for our cars...no pistons for our motors. No roofs for over our heads (triangle shape for those that aren't very smart).

What is the best shape: Circle, Square or Triangle. You must pick one and only one. Which shape has the most potential? If you chose circle, could we make computer keys round? TV screens round? Round cars?

[Silver350]

Jason I think this Random friday one may be impossible

[juicedimpss]

by circle,do you mean sphere?

[jbiscuit]

by circle,do you mean sphere?

it could be a sphere, sure...or cylinder also. So long as the basic shape is a circle.

There are round houses on the corner of Mt. Pleasant Rd. and Golf Ave. in Racine :stare

[Car Guy]

This thread.....

http://whatthecrap.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/dude.jpg

[jbiscuit]

You could make a house out of a giant ball...no shingles. Round large door. Round windows. Cars could be round also. Round-motor even....think about old prop planes and those motors. The connecting rods in that motor could be a cylinder even. Ball bearings? DONE!

[jbiscuit]

http://www.coastalhomeplans.com/planpics/Roundhouse_Roundhouse_1st.jpg

throw in a round couch and a round bed and you are set!

[juicedimpss]

You could make a house out of a giant ball...no shingles. Round large door. Round windows. Cars could be round also. Round-motor even....think about old prop planes and those motors. The connecting rods in that motor could be a cylinder even. Ball bearings? DONE!

might be tough to fly a plane with round propeller blades

[jbiscuit]

might be tough to fly a plane with round propeller blades

good call. Might be a way to take a circular shape though and pitch it enough to make it fly. Make Amelia Earhart fly that shit across the Atlantic :rolf

[kornholio788]

Square. Obviously without circles we are still fucked. But anything we NEED can be built with squares. You can make a triangle with squares. So it is a 2 for one special. Plus if you have square plywood you can bend it to get round shapes ;)

[jbiscuit]

Square. Obviously without circles we are still fucked. But anything we NEED can be built with squares. You can make a triangle with squares. So it is a 2 for one special. Plus if you have square plywood you can bend it to get round shapes ;)

A HA! Good work!!! I was hoping someone would catch on to the thought behind this...You are right. With a square we have a LOT of possibilities for sure.

[Crawlin]

Triangle - because it represents the strongest shape (in engineering standards)

[jbiscuit]

Triangle - because it represents the strongest shape (in engineering standards)

You get the extra credit for this assignment! :thumbsup Well done

[sakisteve]

If there is a single most important shape in engineering, it is the triangle. Unlike a rectangle, a triangle cannot be deformed without changing the length of one of its sides or breaking one of its joints. In fact, one of the simplest ways to strengthen a rectangle is to add supports that form triangles at the rectangle's corners or across its diagonal length. A single support between two diagonal corners greatly strengthens a rectangle by turning it into two triangles

Anything can be made out of triangles, Even Circles ( Well pretty close, much closer then a Square).
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/images/eps-gif/TrianglesInCircles_900.gif

Remember to you can change the angles of a triangle and it is still a triangle. In the engineering world triangles are considered to be the most important shape. As they are the strongest. Why do you think ducati build trellis frames


Note how the Frame is strengthened by TRIANGLES.
http://www.indiaon2wheels.com/pics/ducati-1098-r-chassis.jpg


I Say TRIANGLES are the most important. Damn beat me to my answer.

[Crawlin]

I only know that because when my dad was at Penn State, he was part of the Triangle Fraternity, which is all the engineers, architects, etc... And that's why it's the triangle fraternity, because of what represented :)

and i didnt need to do internet search for it ;) j/k

[sakisteve]

I went to school for Mechanical Design and Engineering. MSOE and U of MN, i knew the answer i just wanted to explain it better. Really the choice for the triangle comes down to Energy transfer and kinematics. But it was fun, something to do at a boring day at work.

[Crawlin]

i figured. that's why i put the smiley face there :)