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Re: Cable around the Equator
Posted:
Nov 5, 1996 4:08 PM
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Not only was his math impeccable, it was also correct! I think that
it passes correctly the sanity check, where is the problem?
Juan Miguel Vilar
On 5 Nov 1996, mfr1 wrote:
> How can adding 50' of slack to the cable spread evenly around the equator
> add 8' at each point? Your math was impeccable but your answer does not
> pass the sanity check! This is why we must not blindly accept mathematical
> results. That is the lesson to be learned from this geometry problem.
>
> lipp@educ.umass.edu wrote in article
> <Pine.PMDF.3.91.961104130200.557939369A-100000@oitvms.oit.umass.edu>...
> >
> >
> > On Mon, 4 Nov 1996, mfr1 wrote:
> >
> > > Ma Bell wants to place a telephone cable around the equator. She adds
> 50
> > > feet to the length of the cable beyond what is required. This slack in
> the
> > > cable allows the cable to be strung up above the ground. How high up
> from
> > > the surface of the earth will the cable stand? You can assume that the
> > > earth is a perfect sphere.
> > >
> > > In your mind, run a sanity check on your answer to see if it makes
> sense.
> > >
> > Surprisingly, you will be able to walk under the cble easilty. Since the
>
> > circumference of a circle is C = 2piR, each increase in R obf 1 foot
> > increases the circumference by 2pi feet. since the cable has been
> > increased by 50 feet the radius of the cable-circle will be increased by
> > 50/2pi or about 8 feet!
> >
> > Alan Lipp
> >
>
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