Why will girls wearing gym shoes win in a tug-of-war against boys ...

[melina_rosy]

Why will girls wearing gym shoes win in a tug-of-war against boys wearing socks while the activity occurs on a smooth floor?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

In terms of momentum, why is a drinking glass less likely to break if it falls on a carpeted floor than falling on a hard concrete floor?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[Carissamariew]

Answer to Question 1

Answer: In any tug of war, the tension on both ends of the rope is the same, so the winning team is the one that exerts more force on the floor. Socks slip easily on a smooth floor, preventing the boys from pushing on and being pushed by the floor. Newton's third law

Answer to Question 2

Answer: The carpeted floor has more give, which means it takes more time for the momentum of the falling glass to reduce to zero as it hits the surface. More time means less force, which means less chance of breaking upon contact with the carpeted floor.

[melina_rosy]

Great answer, keep it coming

[dantucker]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it