Can something go faster than it's pushed?

TL;DR

Yes — a cart in contact with two moving surfaces can exceed their relative velocity, just like the Blackbird vehicle travels faster than the wind.

Key Points

• 1.Objects can move faster than the force pushing them. A cart with a large wheel rolling on two smaller spools demonstrates that when contacting two media moving relative to each other, the cart travels down the board faster than the board itself moves.
• 2.The key mechanism is counter-rotation. The big wheel spins in the opposite direction to the board's push — it doesn't passively roll with the force but actively pushes back against the medium, generating excess speed.
• 3.This principle explains how the Blackbird vehicle travels faster than the wind downwind. Its propeller pushes back against the air just like the cart's wheel, enabling it to exceed wind speed — and a DIY model cart can replicate this at home.