Twiddled bolts

Logic Level 2

Two identical bolts are placed together so that their helical grooves intermesh as shown below. If you move the bolts around each other as you would twiddle your thumbs, holding each bolt firmly by the head so that it does not rotate and twiddling them in the direction shown, will the heads

(a) move inward,

(b) move outward, or

(c) remain the same distance from each other?

(b) (c) (a)

Rohit Udaiwal by Rohit Udaiwal , 20, India

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2 solutions

Rohit Udaiwal
Jan 25, 2016

The heads of the twiddled bolts move neither inward nor outward. The movements cancel each other out – like a person walking up an escalator at the same rate that it is moving down. If you get two bolts, or screws, and try it, it’s fun to see!

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*Unless you don't know what the bolt looks like

Evan Huynh - 5 years, 4 months ago
U.N. Owen
Jan 25, 2016

There's a quick tip for this: point your right hand thumb in the direction you want the screw to go. The natural curve of your fingers is the direction it needs to rotate.

(This also works for water taps, faucets and showers. I've only heard of a few motorcycle bolts that disobey it.)

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