is his bottom nearer the floor?

[crisgal]

sometimes, when i have dropped something, i ask my little boy to pick it up for me, saying, (as my mum used to say to me): "Thanks love - your legs are shorter"
He asked me today what i mean by it. I told him that i am further away from the floor so it takes more effort to bend.
he thought about this and said i was wrong. "It doesn't matter how tall or small you are, you are still bending in half."
Is he right?

[Zeuhl]

Bright kid!

[crisgal]

so he's right then? even though he hasn't got as far to bend?

[jomifl]

Assuming that you both bend to waist height so that your hands reach the floor and also assuming that you are twice his height and the same build then you would have to lower and raise 8 times the mass twice the height so that is 16 times as much work.

[naomi24]

I don't know the answer - but I love his thinking! Clever lad!

[woofgang]

he will still be using the same joints and muscles....but because of his and your ages, his joints, muscles and postural BP might be in better nick than yours...but no, there is no mechanical advantage.

[Zeuhl]

<you would have to lower and raise 8 times the mass twice the height so that is 16 times as much work. >

But you have more muscle mass and strength

So he is thinking in terms of relativity and ratios which is very 'bright' of him.

[crisgal]

he is being tested for dyslexia/dispraxia in september. he is always pointing things out to me and loves to solve problems, both maths and other kinds. He seems to think very differently to his brother and sister!

[heathfield]

If God really wanted me to touch my toes, they'd be attached to my knees!

[jomifl]

Zeul, effort=work?