How much weight can a standing cow support before it collapses?

Answer 1

It depends on several things: how strong the cow's bones are, whether the cow is on level or slanted ground, whether the cow can lock its knee joints, and so on.

But in general. f = ma = 0 = W - 4L; where W = mg = weight of the cow of mass m and L = the force on each hoove (leg) of your standard run of the mill four-legged cow. So as long as W - 4L, a = 0 and there is no acceleration of the cow to the ground. It stays standing.

What all this says is the if the weight of the cow (W) exceeds the cow's ability to withstand that weight (the 4L factor), then it will collapse to the ground. Why. Because when W > 4L we have f = ma = W - 4L > 0 so that the acceleration a > 0 and the cow will accelerate in its fall to the ground.

Fun question, full of physics.

Answer 2

Is this a Jersey cow .