Thread: Shaving Thought Experiment

Cutting is a function of pressure per square inch (PSI). A thicker beard (both density of hair and thickness of hair) will create a greater functional surface area. The larger surface area results in a lower psi...and more work required to achieve the cutting.

Alternatively, you can think of cutting hair as breaking the chemical structure/bonds of the hair. Like all good demolition projects, that requires a certain amount of energy. The more hair (thickness of individual hairs and overall number of hairs), the more energy required.

Taking your thought experiment to the illogical extremes, if one's beard consisted of a single infinitely thin whisker...wel,l you wouldn't even need a razor. The opposite extreme would be whiskers so thick and dense that they would tower like Sequoias. Can you envision the razor and work crew required to cut down a Sequoia-sized whisker?

Fun question to contemplate over coffee....maybe I had too much coffee....