News Physics

Here’s how much fruit you can take from a display before it collapses

About 10 percent of the produce can be removed before it crashes down

The produce section of a grocery store with lots of fruit and vegetables on sloped displays

Grocery store stacks of oranges, apples and other types of fruit can come tumbling down once about 10 percent of the produce is removed, computer simulations suggest.

Burke/Triolo Productions/The Image Bank/Getty Images

By Darren Incorvaia

If you take more than 10 percent of the fruit in a stacked produce display — watch out.

The iconic sloped produce displays in grocery stores can cause chaos when they collapse.