HomeCalculatorsMechanicalFriction & StabilitySlip or Tip Calculator
Mechanical calculator

Slip or Tip Calculator

Whether a block on a level surface slips or tips under a horizontal force. Slip uses the friction engine. Tip is the moment of the weight about the leading edge. Runs locally.

Instant result
Result
—

Enter values to calculate.

Inputs—
Mode—
Formula—
Trust summary CVP VERIFIED · production STALE · CVP protocol 1.0.0-proposed · Engineering assurance · Level surface: P_slip = μW and P_tip = W b/(2 d); P is the smaller. + O3 mpmath tabulated P.
Input interpretation
Enter values to calculate.
Result
—
Verified scope
Level surface: P_slip = μW and P_tip = W b/(2 d); P is the smaller. + O3 mpmath tabulated P.
Assurance
Engineering
Declared partition coverage
PASS · 5/5 declared partitions (slip, tip, alias, awkward, invalid-domain) · Matrix
Deferred
Not an incline, not wedges, not screws, and not belts.
Numerical scope
O2: P vs a separate-module identity (≤2 ULP). Not an incline, not wedges, not screws, and not belts. ≤2 ULP vs O3 applies only to the published tabulated slip-or-tip vectors.
Known limitations
  • Core CVP does not include live graph, viewport, or pointer interaction.
Model
Whether a block on a level surface slips or tips under a horizontal force, and the force at which that happens.
Scope
Calculation runs locally in the browser; values are not uploaded.
Verification
Engine tested · Source checked · v1.0.0 · CVP VERIFIED · production STALE · CVP protocol 1.0.0-proposed · Engineering assurance · Level surface: P_slip = μW and P_tip = W b/(2 d); P is the smaller. + O3 mpmath tabulated P.· View Manifest · CVP overview · Specification
Versions
Calculation 1.0.0 · CVP protocol 1.0.0-proposed · Evidence 2026-09-27.o2-o3
Verification revision
2026-09-27.o2-o3 · 1/1 property · digest fcf2cdd2fb94
Legacy regression
7/7 tests · Production surface contract 6/6
Trust layers
Verification VERIFIED · Production STALE · overall VERIFIED_STALE
CVP status
STALE · attestation snapshot core 333817bd3d11 ≠ live cvp_core_sha256 fcf2cdd2fb94 (2026-09-27.o2-o3)
Reference
O1 model · O3 expected_values · O3 numerical_behavior · O2 expected_values · O2 numerical_behavior
Interfaces
PASS · UI (SSR) / REST / MCP — ui-ssr is query-result HTML, not a live browser session. Error-path engine·REST·MCP 1/1 (status, code, calculation_version). SSR compared on URL-canonical requested calculations; empty query is idle (not an error) and JSON-typed object/array inputs are REST/MCP-only.
Supplemental domain review
Not performed
Named expert review
Not performed
CVP suite
4/4 golden · 4/4 CVP boundary · 6/6 invalid · 1/1 property · 1/1 metamorphic · 8/8 O3 · 2/2 cross-interface · 6/6 CVP contract · Manifest
Sources
  • Hibbeler, Engineering Mechanics: Statics — Dry friction — tipping or slipping
  • Beer, Johnston, and Mazurek, Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Statics — Dry friction — tipping or slipping
Sources
Evidence
3 legacy golden · 4 legacy boundary · legacy regression suite · 4/4 oracle-backed golden · 6/6 invalid · Artifact integrity PASS
STALE · Last attested schema matched 1.0.0 snapshot / local build · Semantic contract ✓ · Last attestation PASS · current evidence changed · re-attestation required · CVP STALE · attestation STALE — Production CURRENT withheld · Public/cache ✓ · Origin ✓
Semantic contract
PASS
Full verification

Manifest identity, reference classes, interfaces, suite, and production records.

Formulas

Core equations used by this calculator.

SlipP_slip = μ W
TipP_tip = W b / (2 d)
iThe force is horizontal at height d. The weight acts through the center of a base of width b. This page does not solve an incline, a wedge, or a belt.

How to use

1

Enter the weight and μ

W is in newtons. μ is the coefficient at impending slip.

2

Enter the base and the height

b is the width in the direction of the force. d is the height of the force above the surface.

3

Read which mode happens first

slip, tip, or either. P is the smaller of the two threshold forces.

Example calculations

Common configurations with formula and result.

ϟ

Slips first

W = 100 N, μ = 0.25, b = 2, d = 2

P_slip = 25, P_tip = 50
slip, P = 25 N
ϟ

Tips first

W = 100 N, μ = 0.5, b = 1, d = 4

P_slip = 50, P_tip = 12.5
tip, P = 12.5 N

Slip or Tip calculator specification

Version 1.0.0 · Engine tested

Calculation status

Review policy · Evidence

Definition
On a level surface, P_slip = μW and P_tip = W b / (2d). The smaller force happens first. Equal forces are reported as either.
What it calculates
Whether a block on a level surface slips or tips under a horizontal force, and the force at which that happens.
Inputs
  • W
  • mu
  • b
  • d
Outputs
  • mode
  • P
  • P_slip
  • P_tip
  • N
Formula
P_slip = μW, P_tip = Wb/(2d)
Assumptions
  • Calculation runs locally in the browser; values are not uploaded.
  • Keep units consistent with the labels on each field.
  • The force is horizontal at height d. The weight acts through the center of a base of width b. This page does not solve an incline, a wedge, or a belt.
Units
  • W, P, P_slip, and P_tip are in one force unit. b and d share one length unit. μ is dimensionless.
Boundary conditions
  • missing W, μ, b, or d → MISSING_REQUIRED_INPUT
  • W ≤ 0, b ≤ 0, or d ≤ 0 → VALUE_MUST_BE_POSITIVE
  • μ < 0 → VALUE_OUT_OF_RANGE
Example
W=100 mu=0.25 b=2 d=2 → slip, P=25
Validation cases

3 published on this page · 7/7 tests · Production surface contract 6/6 · View evidence

  • W=100 mu=0.25 b=2 d=2 → mode=slip, P=25, P_tip=50
  • W=100 mu=0.5 b=1 d=4 → mode=tip, P=12.5
  • W=100 mu=0.25 b=2 d=0 → VALUE_MUST_BE_POSITIVE
Sources
  • Hibbeler, Engineering Mechanics: Statics — Dry friction — tipping or slipping
    Supports: On a level surface the horizontal force to slip is μW, and the force to tip is the weight times the half-width divided by the height of the force
  • Beer, Johnston, and Mazurek, Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Statics — Dry friction — tipping or slipping
    Supports: Supports the page formula: P_slip = μ W
Calculation version
1.0.0

Background

Interpretation and common distinctions.

Find whether a block on a level surface slips or tips.

Supported and not supported

Supported: a horizontal force at height d on a block of weight W and base width b. P_slip comes from the friction engine with N = W. P_tip is the moment of W about the leading edge.

Not supported: an incline, wedges, screws, belts, and a force that is not horizontal. /calc/mechanical is not open.

Agent / API notes

Capability id: mechanical.statics.slip_or_tip · tool id: slip-or-tip · pin 1.0.0.

{ "W": 100, "mu": 0.25, "b": 2, "d": 2 }

Share the link with W, mu, b, and d. The result is not written into the link.

Other calculators in this family: Angled Pull Calculator, Angled Pull on an Incline Calculator, Horizontal Force on an Incline Calculator, Incline Friction Calculator, Incline Slip or Tip Calculator, Ladder Friction Calculator, Least Pull Calculator, Least Pull on an Incline Calculator . Explore all Friction & Stability.

→ Angled Pull Calculator Pull at an angle above the horizontal that puts a block on a level surface at impending slip. The normal is W − P sinα. Runs locally. › → Angled Pull on an Incline Calculator The pull at an angle above the horizontal that puts a block on an incline at impending slip. α = 0 is horizontal. α = θ is parallel to the plane. Runs locally. › → Horizontal Force on an Incline Calculator Horizontal force that puts a block on an incline at impending slip. P is positive toward the uphill side. The normal grows by P sinθ. Runs locally. › → Incline Friction Calculator Force parallel to a rough incline at impending slip. Normal and friction come from the friction engine. Equilibrium is solved with the linear-algebra engine. Runs locally. › → Incline Slip or Tip Calculator Whether a homogeneous rectangle on an incline slips or tips under its own weight. The slip angle is the friction angle. The tip angle is the moment about the downhill edge. Runs locally. › → Ladder Friction Calculator Minimum floor friction for a uniform ladder against a smooth wall. The three reactions are a linear system. μ_min comes from the friction engine. Runs locally. › → Least Pull Calculator The angle and magnitude of the smallest pull that puts a block on a level surface at impending slip. α = arctan μ. Runs locally. › → Least Pull on an Incline Calculator The smallest pull that moves a block up an incline. The pull is at the friction angle above the incline. Runs locally. ›

Frequently asked questions

Key distinctions behind the calculation.

What does either mean?

P_slip and P_tip are the same, so both modes are impending at that force.

Is this an incline?

A block that slips or tips under its own weight on an incline is the incline slip-or-tip page. This page keeps the surface level and the force horizontal.

Where does the weight act?

Through the center of the base, halfway across the width b.