Mathematical conundrum

[beet1e]

Imagine that the Earth was a round ball with no mountains, trees or obstacles, no ocean waves etc., but otherwise was the same size. Now imagine a length of string were to be passed from the equator all along one of the meridians at surface level - all the way up over the north pole, down the other side past the south pole, and back up to the equator where it begins. That would be a very long piece of string....

But now imagine that another length of string were to be passed around the earth in the same way, along the same meridian, but this second length of string had to pass 3 centimetres above the earth's surface.

How much longer than the first length of string would the second length of string have to be?

HTC employees/Mathman et al - please keep Mum for 24 hours to give the others a chance to answer.

[Tilt]

X= (2Pi(R+3))-(2PiR)

X= 6 x Pi


(presume I am an "other")

[Swoop]

Are we also taking into account the earths 'squatting' due to the directional spin effect on a globe?

[megadud]

the earth cannot be perfectly round or it would be a water world and everyone wuld drown....so your math problem is not worth my time...i got one for you though...

1+3=_


good luck

megadud

[mechanic]

if it takes a man 2 hours to dig a hole, how long would it take the same man to dig half a hole?

[megadud]

Originally posted by mechanic
if it takes a man 2 hours to dig a hole, how long would it take the same man to dig half a hole?

does he get to rest up before digging...a glass of water?

need more info

megadud

[JCLerch]

Originally posted by Tilt
X= (2Pi(R+3))-(2PiR)

X= 6 x Pi


(presume I am an "other")

Well lets see if this works out.

Were solving for the circumfrance of a string around one diameter of a 'spherical' Earth.

Assume Radius of Earth is 637,815,000 cm

First string = 2piR = 2 * 3.14159 * 637,815,000 = 4007509836.6987 cm

Second String = 2pi(r+3) = 2 * 3.14159 * 637,815,003 = 4007509855.5483

The difference in length of the two strings is 18.84955592153875943077586029 9677

6 * Pi = 18.84955592153875943077586029 9677

Yup, same number as Tilt

The lesson to be learned here is, when solving for the difference in circumfrances, we don't need to know the actual  radius of the circle, on the difference between the two radii...

(BTW, I had to do the math as I didn't believe the answer, an 18.85 cm difference didn't pass the Common Sense test, even though it was the correct answer!)

[Max]

Originally posted by mechanic
if it takes a man 2 hours to dig a hole, how long would it take the same man to dig half a hole?

Is he using a shovel or a pick-axe?

DmdMax

[FiLtH]

With an Earth such as that..there would be no string nor life to lay it.

[Max]

Filth where in NH ya live?

DmdMax

[storch]

If my grandmother had wheels, would she have been a bicycle?  Would anyone have "ridden" her?  If someone other grandpa had "ridden" her would I still be me?

[VWE]

Your from cube'r right? So yes you would still be you... bunchofinbreadislanders!  

[storch]

Originally posted by VWE
Your from cube'r right? So yes you would still be you... bunchofinbreadislanders!  

Not so rococo!!!!  There is considerable cultural diversity amongst all Caribbean Islanders.  Just like in the USA  "Out of many, one people"  E pluribus unum.

Besides the question was for Beet1e from the original "Island of Inbred types"  Though thanks to former colonials returning they have infused the gene pool with fresh DNA.  

[Swoop]

Originally posted by JCLerch
Were solving for the circumfrance of a string around one diameter of a 'spherical' Earth.

Yeah see here's the thing:  The Earth is not a perfect sphere.  When you put a spin force on a globe that isnt a solid structure (ie one with some water in it's make-up) there is a certain amount of bunching around the equator.  IE, the circumference of the planet is bigger if you measure it around the equator rather than pole to pole.

If the Earth was hanging stationary in space with no spin force upon it then it would be a perfect sphere......if you ignore the mountains / valleys, etc.

[HavocTM]

I read once that if the Earth were the size of a billiard ball, it would be smoother even with the mountains and canyons.