Re: [math-fun] pile of sand constant

On 4/3/07, Daniel Asimov <dasimov@earthlink.net> wrote:

Joshua writes: If the grain size is roughly comparable to the particles of material that constitute the base surface (say, earth), it makes sense that the angle would depend on the grain size.

But where the grain size is much larger than the particles making up the base surface (e.g., table salt on linoleum), I'd expect the situation would be virtually independent of the scale of the stuff being piled.

Nope. There's more complicated stuff: cohesion depends on grain size (relative importance of surface area to volume), so I think there's a big difference. Take a look at http://www.wtamu.edu/~crobinson/SoilWater/mounddr.html for example. --Joshua