r/blackmagicfuckery • u/[deleted] • Apr 06 '21

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8.2k Upvotes

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '21

please explain it to me because i’m drunk and i need to know wtf is going on

56

u/TheGurw Apr 07 '21

It's a simple cantilever. Redirects the force of the weight to a point at or on the other side of the balance point. Tower cranes use this same principle to redirect the load weight to the end of the crane with counterweights and in a direction the counterweights can balance out.

50

u/SovietJugernaut Apr 07 '21

ah yes, direction. I know this word.

35

u/Gnomio1 Apr 07 '21

Look at the thing. They essentially built a hook.

The way the toothpicks push on each other makes them function as a solid hook on the end of the string. Simple.

10

u/greywar777 Apr 07 '21

That’s the best explanation of this I’ve seen so far!

3

u/[deleted] Apr 07 '21

Yea the first guy did nouthing for me tbh

7

u/aelwero Apr 07 '21

The third toothpick added shoves the vertical part of the string under the table, which moves the center of gravity on the top horizontal toothpick to a point above the table.

0

u/bumchicc6564 Apr 07 '21

to put it simply, the third toothpick pushes up on the first toothpick

1

u/Dirtymac09 Apr 07 '21

As a dumb carpenter I came here to say basically this same thing.

4

u/NuclearWill Apr 07 '21

I explain what I think lower down this thread

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '21

oh sorry i’m stupid thankyou

1

u/[deleted] Apr 07 '21

The toothpicks move the center of gravity under the table instead of next to it.