While walking on ice, one should take small steps to avoid slipping. This is because smaller steps ensure.

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larger normal force Explanation: When you walk, you push down and backwards on the ground. The ground pushes back with an equal and opposite reaction force, which splits into two components: a vertical normal force and a horizontal frictional force. • Large Steps: Your foot lands at a wide angle far ahead of your body. This requires a high horizontal force to push you forward, demanding a lot of friction. Because ice is slippery, it cannot provide enough friction, and you slip. • Small Steps: Your feet land directly underneath your center of mass, keeping your legs nearly vertical. This maximizes the vertical push against the ground, resulting in a larger normal force. Because your legs are vertical, the horizontal force component drops to almost zero, meaning you require virtually no friction to stay balanced.

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