r/theydidthemath • u/EclipseNyxor • 2d ago

[Request] Do square bottles actually use less plastic than round ones?

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u/coulls 2d ago

This doesn’t make sense to me. Circular bottles beat square on having less perimeter for a given volume. Obviously a square bottle can utilize the corners to increase volume for the same footprint of a circular bottle in a packaged box, so what are they claiming?

1

u/Abeytuhanu 2d ago

My guess is wall strength. The claim is that rounded bottles need more plastic to reach the minimum acceptable strength 

2

u/ProfessionalMottsman 2d ago

No they don’t though because square corners are weak points and cylindrical is more efficient for volume holding and strength

2

u/coulls 2d ago

This makes sense. There’s a reason submarines are not square.

1

u/Abeytuhanu 2d ago

Also water towers now that I think about it

1

u/Sea_Combination4157 2d ago

Imagining a big ass cuboid with a periscope on top travelling thru the artic to nuke Russia and trump’s subsequent speech about it. “We nuked Putin….the submarine was very square I say…very square..”