Escalator Riddle

muttclugg

muttclugg

muttclugg

Associate
Joined
10 Dec 2007
Posts
1,943
Location
SE
Read this in the London Lite and thought I'd see what you all thought of it:

"...you go up fewer escalator steps if you run rather than walk."

True or false?
 
false... if you stand still you only go up one step, if you run you go up many, so if you walk you'll go up a few

Greenlizard0 said:
If you get to the top then the same no. of steps have been passed.
Click to expand...

not when the steps are moving



although the OP is true if the escalator is going backwards :P
 
The plane doesn't take off!

Oh wait..... Wrong riddle.

I'd say it is possible, as if you run you will spend less time on the escalator. Guess it comes down to how quick you walk/run.
 
If you walk at 0.01mph, you might go up 1 step whilst the escalator moves you to the top.

If you run at 1000mph, you would go up the total number of steps on the escalator, almost as if the elevator wasn't moving at all.
 
True.

If you have to escalators side by side, one person stands on it and waits patiently (normally in the middle or on the left if you're in London) and the other person runs up the escalator they are going to get to the top first. During this time, the number of steps you would have traversed roll up as the patient person reaches the top.

Unless this is some gay riddle like: "you take the same number of steps running and walking due to the size of the steps". Which is cod**** as I take two step bounds :D
 
Greenlizard0 said:
Even if the steps are moving, there'll still be the same number that have to be passed to reach the top, irrespective of speed taken to get past them.
Click to expand...

Ok, imagine it takes a minute for a step to get from bottom to top.
You walk at a speed of 1 step every 30 seconds. You go up 1 step between the bottom to the top

If you walk at a speed of 1 step every 3 seconds, you will clearly walk through more steps than one every 30 seconds
 
Greenlizard0 said:
Even if the steps are moving, there'll still be the same number that have to be passed to reach the top, irrespective of speed taken to get past them.
Click to expand...
no, the same distance, yes, not the same number of steps. :)

If you walk up an escalator and, for examples sake, you climb 50 steps, if you ran it would be more because the steps (that are moving) are not able to carry you as far, before you climb to the next. Hence if you stood still from the flat bit at the bottom, to the flat bit at the top, you'd not have climbed any.
 
If you walk or remain still (The latter resulting in you only crossing one single step) the you will traverse less steps (But the same distance) than if you were running.
 
As usual, the question is flawed.

I would like to know:
Is the escalator moving?
Which direction is it moving?
What speed is it moving and what speeds are considered walking and running?

To name but a few.
 
Last edited:
Yep, you will always take more steps when walking, as long as you are moving with the escalator.

If you run, a higher proportion of the distance travelled will be by you taking steps. If you walk, a higher proportion of the distance will be made by the moving escalator.

Say there are 10 steps, and it takes 10 seconds for each step to go from the bottom to the top (1 step/second). If you walk at a speed of 1 step per second, you'll reach the top in 5 seconds, because you are moving at 2 steps per second (walking speed + escalator speed).

If you run at 4 steps per second, you'll be moving at 5 steps/second, due to the movement of the steps. This means it'll take you 2 seconds to reach the top, which means you will have actually made 8 steps.

8 > 5, therefore, you take more steps by running than by walking.

The faster you move, the more steps you take.

Steps taken = distance (steps) / walking speed (steps/second) + escalator speed (steps/second)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom