Stability & Tipping
Stack blocks, lean a tower. Builds on Static Equilibrium.
You have two boxes of the same mass: one is short and wide (50 cm × 30 cm tall), the other is tall and narrow (20 cm × 75 cm tall). You tilt each box slowly on one edge.
Which box can be tilted further before it tips over?
The short wide box is much more stable! It can tilt about 40° before tipping, while the tall one tips at only about 15°.
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Tilt both boxes slowly. The COM indicator shows exactly when the tipping point is reached.
θ_tip = arctan(w / 2h)
Wide and low = stable. Narrow and tall = tippy. This is why SUVs roll over more than sedans.
SUVs have high COM and narrow base — they tip more easily in sharp turns
It doesn't fall because its COM is still above the base — barely!
Heavy base, light top — designed so it doesn't tip easily
“Stability is geometry: wide base, low center of mass, and gravity does the rest.”
Tipping Lab
Build towers of blocks and push them. Adjust width, height, and COM to explore stability.
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Build the tallest tower you can that still survives a 10° tilt. Now try adding a heavy base — how much taller can you go?
The ancient Egyptians knew this instinctively — pyramids are the ultimate stable shape: massive base, COM close to the ground.