|
|
Re: JSH: Upside down situation
Posted:
Mar 17, 2008 2:45 PM
|
|
> > > A 1 meter rubber band is attached to a wall at one end
> > > where a bug starts walking along the band at 1 cm/sec,
> > > while the other end is attached to a car moving away
> > > from the wall at 1 m/sec. Assuming the rubber band is
> > > uniformly and infinitely elastic, will the bug ever
> > > reach the car?
>
> > > The bug reaches the car in a mere 10^43 seconds.
>
> > You sure you didn't leave out a piece of this interesting puzzle?
>
> No I am not sure. There are enough pieces to make it plain.
> Please, to tell me what is missing.
>
> --
> Michael Press
Maybe it's just me, but it seems that if the bug is traveling slower
than the car (1 cm/sec vs 1 m/sec) and the bug does not start our
ahead of the car (the bug is initially at the wall), then the bug can
never catch up with the car.
I'm assuming there's some catch to the problem, like the car goes
around the world and comes back to catch up with the bug ("laps" the
bug, so to speak) or the bug travels in the opposite direction than
the car. But then you run into complications like the fact that the
car would have to be able to drive around the world or the car or bug
would have to go through the wall, etc.
M
|
|
