20 Physics -- Dynamics

A man carrying a bucket full of water on his right hand always leans towards his left hand. Why?

A man carrying a bucket full of water on his right hand always leans towards his left hand. Why?

When a man carries a bucket full of water on his right hand without leaning towards his left, the location of the center of gravity of the system (man + bucket full of water) changes and the system becomes unstable. This produces a net torque about the center of gravity of the man and this torque tries to rotate the man to the right. In order to cancel this torque, the man has to lean to the left so that the center of gravity of the man and the bucket full of water as a whole lies within the base and the stable equilibrium is achieved. Thus the man carrying the bucket full of water on his right hand always leans towards his left hand. For the same reason, a man carrying a load on his back leans forward.

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