Re: [Phys-l] fun ill-posed questions

[Patricia Sievert <sievert@physics.niu.edu>]

One solution is rather obvious, at least to students who are into 
riddles and puzzles, but the other solutions are not.
Pati Sievert

John Denker wrote:
> On 10/10/2006 09:41 PM, Cliff Parker wrote:
>   
> > *) You start out at point A. You travel strictly south for one mile. You
> > then make a 90 degree turn and travel strictly east for one mile. You
> > then make another 90 degree turn and travel strictly north for one mile.
> > You find that you have returned to point A.
> >
> > Good stuff.  How about making it less obvious that this is possible.
> >     
>
> Less obvious?????  Jeepers, I've never seen anybody (HS students, HS
> teachers, or world-famous physics researchers) who felt that the correct
> answer was too obvious.  Indeed, I've seen people literally blanch as
> the blood drained out of their face when they realized how badly they'd
> been had.
>
> Do you really know where point A is?  Are you sure?
>
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>   


--

/Pati Sievert/

/Outreach Coordinator, NICADD and Department of Physics/

/Northern //Illinois// //University///

/DeKalb//, //IL// //60115///

/sievert@physics.niu.edu <mailto:sievert@physics.niu.edu>/

/(815) 753-6418/

/www.physics.niu.edu/frontier/