Question

Why is it easier to pull a desk across a room than to push it from behind? (Assume the level of the top of the desk is lower than where your hands naturally fall).

Answer 1

In a frictionless case, push force would have been equal to pull force.

In presence of friction:

Easier to Push or Pull?

a) Push force: When we try to push the table, because our hands are inclined downwards, we are unintentionally adding downward force. That increases the normal force and hence also the frictional force offered by the ground.

b) Pull force: Similarly, because our hands are inclined upwards, we are unintentionally adding upward force. That decreases the normal force and hence also the frictional force offered by the ground.