Science’s actually factually: Does slipping on a banana peel really works?
The banana peel fall, one of the most classic slapstick comedy over the years. We’ve seen it over and over again how the comedians will fall and slipped just by stepping on it. So, even though banana gags rank among the lowest common denominator of comedy formulas, there's a lot of physics involved in the action of slipping and falling on a banana peel.
Friction Fundamentals
Basically, you have friction - or in this case lack of friction is to blame when you slip on something like a rotten banana peel. No surface is perfectly smooth, and whenever we come into contact with one, such as sitting in a chair or stepping on an icy sidewalk, two different surfaces interact, causing friction.
Friction is a force that holds back the movement of a sliding object. That's it. Friction is just that simple.
You will find friction everywhere that objects come into contact with each other. The force acts in the opposite direction to the way an object wants to slide. If a car needs to stop at a stop sign, it slows because of the friction between the brakes and the wheels. If you run down the sidewalk and stop quickly, you can stop because of the friction between your shoes and the cement.
What happens if you run down the sidewalk and you try to stop on a puddle? Friction is still there, but the liquid makes the surfaces smoother and the friction a lot less. Less friction means it is harder to stop. The less friction between an object, such as a banana peel or slab of bacon fat, the more slippery it is.
Two kinds of friction are at work in a slip-up scenario: Static and Dynamic (a.k.a kinetic).
Static friction refers to the resistant force that prevents something from moving when external force is applied. Think about the difference between pushing a heavy box along a marble floor and a road. The static friction, a downward force, is exerted less on the smooth marble floor than on the rocks. The lesser the static friction, the easier it is to push or move an object along the surface.
Kinetics/Dynamic friction is the resistant force acting on a moving object. For example, which is easier between sledding down a snow-covered mountain and trying to do so in a grassy hill? Of course it’s easier to sled down the snow and difficult to sled down the grass. This is because the kinetic friction between the moving sled and the grass is greater than that between the sled and the snow.
As such, friction depends upon the nature of the two surfaces and upon the degree to which they are pressed together.
In order for you to slip on a banana peel, or any other obstacle on the ground, the force of forward linear velocity must overcome downward static friction. Once the peel is in motion, it requires less force to continue moving since kinetic friction is always less than static friction. That explains why after you step on something and begin to slip, it can be difficult to regain your footing.
Newton and Bananas
Though best known for his apple, Sir Isaac Newton can also help explain the mechanics of slipping on a banana peel. Newton's first law of motion states that any object in motion will stay in motion unless acted on by an outside force. Friction is one of those outside forces that halts inertia. Newton's third law holds that for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. When we run into a banana peel while walking, the forward force of our intended velocity overcomes the peel's static friction and sets it in motion. In reaction to that accelerated forward force, we experience an equal, backward force on our bodies that can send us to the ground with a little assistance from gravity.
However, although the slick underside of a fresh banana skin does have some friction-reducing properties — a single peel isn't a guaranteed fall magnet. If you're determined to see some major slippage, try running on layers of peels. Putting peel upon peel reduces static friction, and the older the peels, the more slippery they will be, because the solid material decomposes into a soft, slimy texture
So, the actual fact on this myth: BUSTED.
Consequently, banana peels are more of a hazard on the comedy stage than real life thanks to the strong static friction between a shoe and the tough outside skin of the peel.
However, with a fair amount of comedic effort and a lot of banana peels, you can recreate the old banana peel fall by purposefully stepping on an old banana skin. It just isn't likely or rarely to happen by accident that’s all.
By:
Anis Natrah Muhammad Khairulailzaki
mediaPERUBATAN Mansurah Journalist
Source: dsc.discovery.com
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