How many of you are good enough at high powered math to solve this week's puzzzler?
It only took me about 10 minutes.
Here 'tis:
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Don't reply with the answer, just tell me how long it took YOU to "get it".Jeff
A good Car Talk Puzzler
Apr 18, 2011
44 Replies
About 10 seconds.
jsw
, I must be only half as smart as Jeff, 20 seconds.
CarlBoyd
Jim, I see we have a common middle initial. My middle name is Arnold. I never thought to ask why my folks picked that name but even though it would "fit" I'm just as happy that they didn't choose Edward or Ethan.
Jeff (Happy Passover to those celebrating it.)
jeff_wisnia fired this volley in news:Xv2dnaJ7e6zewDHQnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:
In this case, there is no "higher math". The poles must be exactly touching for half of a 150' long rope to reach down 75'.
LLoyd
"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" fired this volley in news:Xns9ECB800E5343lloydspmindspringcom@216.168.3.70:
oops! I thought it was an old puzzler! (urk!)
LLoyd
I don't know the answer. I'm almost certain they misspelled "canary", though.
-- If only he'd wash his neck, I'd wring it. -- John Sparrow
Mine did pick Edward, though I never suffered for it in school. The S is Edward's last name, so I had a good excuse, my grandfather's name sandwiched into my father's.
jesw
Less than five seconds.
Oh hell...
I was going to get out an ancient electrical engineering book that was full of wire droop formulas to figure it out...
I want my money back.
Jon
About 20 seconds.
I looked up "cantenary" (note spelling) and Wiki had the formula; I was all set to write a program that would try test values in the formula until I zeroed in on one that gave the answer. I wonder if in this case it would converge? I guess I now have one more useless thing to waste my ample "spare time" on. ;-)
Cheers! Rich
"Catenary," of course.
Cheers! Rich
It took me about a minute. I was thinking of looking up how hyperbolic trig functions work and the equations for determining aspects of a catenary then I got it.
Wes
You were not supposed to tell the answer!
Wes
Correction posted, _just_ in the nick of time! heh heh .... ;>)}
"Catenary" (note spelling)
Wes fired this volley in news:Yl3rp.46111 $ snipped-for-privacy@en-nntp-07.dc.easynews.com:
I already apologized! I thought it was an old puzzler. I worked this weekend! (sorry)
LLoyd
I want my money back.
Jon
Reply: Actually 2x the thickness of the rope. Touching, the rope could not loop between them.
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