Lobowolf Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 For purposes of this question, assume the circumference of the earth at the equator is 25,000 miles (132,000,000 feet). Now assume you have a 25,000-mile long piece of rope wrapped around the earth at the equator, fitting snugly. If you wanted to "float" the rope a foot above the earth (i.e. so that at every point around the globe, the rope was a foot off the ground, just sort of hovering there, like Saturn's rings), how much longer would you need to make the rope? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matmat Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 :) not that much 2Pi feet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtvesuvius Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 Long enough for a mathematician to hang himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotShot Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 Long enough for a mathematician to hang himself. That would not be so easy as you might think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdonn Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 ((132,000,000 / pi) + 2) * pi - 132,000,000=(2 * pi) feet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobowolf Posted June 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 Long enough for a mathematician to hang himself. That would not be so easy as you might think. Did you hear the one about the plastic surgeon who hung himself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
y66 Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 I don't think you need that assumption about the circumference. You just need to assume the earth is round. 2pi(r+1) - 2pi® = 2pi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jlall Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 ((132,000,000 / pi) + 2) * pi - 132,000,000=(2 * pi) feet Wow I'm impressed Jdonn! I knew matmat was balla but not you :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazy4hoop Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 Long enough for a mathematician to hang himself. That would not be so easy as you might think. Did you hear the one about the plastic surgeon who hung himself?Was he a penile enlargement specialist trying to make himself hung? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobowolf Posted June 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 Long enough for a mathematician to hang himself. That would not be so easy as you might think. Did you hear the one about the plastic surgeon who hung himself?Was he a penile enlargement specialist trying to make himself hung? Well, if he were a suicidal type of dude, he'd've hanged himself. Or shot himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdonn Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 ((132,000,000 / pi) + 2) * pi - 132,000,000=(2 * pi) feet Wow I'm impressed Jdonn! I knew matmat was balla but not you :) I swear I always thought I was great at math, but so rarely do the forums have a math question I can answer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepman Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 The rope would have to be exactly twice half it's length. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matmat Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 The rope would have to be exactly twice half it's length. lies! fiction! fabrication! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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