Friday problem...

Visage

Visage

Visage

Permabanned
Joined
13 Jan 2005
Posts
10,708
You start off at a point on the earth's surface.

You walk one mile south, then one mile east, then one mile north. You end up back where you started.

How many points on the earth's surface satisfy the above criteria?
 
Edited to remove stupidity. It is impossible to walk south from the south pole, or north from the north pole.

Are we talking about a place called 'One Mile South'?
 
Answering, "The Equator" is true if you were to say that you end up on the equator again, though actually you would be on the ewuator, you would still be 1 mile west of your origonal location.

There are two correct answers. One is the Notrh Pole. "North and South" are not "up and down," it is moving toward the respective pole. Therefor, traveling one mile south of the North Pole, traveling any distance west or east, then one mile north, would put you back at the North Pole.

The other, less common answer, is that there are an infinite number of places on the Earth, where you would end up at the starting location if you were to travel one mile south, west, then north. And that is anywhere 1.159 miles north of the South Pole. You would travel south for one mile, putting you at .159 miles north of the South Pole. Then traveling one mile west would cause you to make a complete circle around the South Pole, ending where the westward mile started. Then travel one mile north and that would put you back at your original starting point.
 
POB said:
Answering, "The Equator" is true if you were to say that you end up on the equator again, though actually you would be on the ewuator, you would still be 1 mile west of your origonal location.

There are two correct answers. One is the Notrh Pole. "North and South" are not "up and down," it is moving toward the respective pole. Therefor, traveling one mile south of the North Pole, traveling any distance west or east, then one mile north, would put you back at the North Pole.

The other, less common answer, is that there are an infinite number of places on the Earth, where you would end up at the starting location if you were to travel one mile south, west, then north. And that is anywhere 1.159 miles north of the South Pole. You would travel south for one mile, putting you at .159 miles north of the South Pole. Then traveling one mile west would cause you to make a complete circle around the South Pole, ending where the westward mile started. Then travel one mile north and that would put you back at your original starting point.
Click to expand...

Looks like a googled answer but I see the logic :D (mainly because its explained)

Aero

EDIT: even more obvious as the question asked east and the answer he gave was west :P
 
POB said:
Answering, "The Equator" is true if you were to say that you end up on the equator again, though actually you would be on the ewuator, you would still be 1 mile west of your origonal location.

There are two correct answers. One is the Notrh Pole. "North and South" are not "up and down," it is moving toward the respective pole. Therefor, traveling one mile south of the North Pole, traveling any distance west or east, then one mile north, would put you back at the North Pole.

The other, less common answer, is that there are an infinite number of places on the Earth, where you would end up at the starting location if you were to travel one mile south, west, then north. And that is anywhere 1.159 miles north of the South Pole. You would travel south for one mile, putting you at .159 miles north of the South Pole. Then traveling one mile west would cause you to make a complete circle around the South Pole, ending where the westward mile started. Then travel one mile north and that would put you back at your original starting point.
Click to expand...

Plagiarism is bad, ok? :p
 
POB said:
Answering, "The Equator" is true if you were to say that you end up on the equator again, though actually you would be on the ewuator, you would still be 1 mile west of your origonal location.
Click to expand...

Well its not true then, is it, since you're not back where you started....

There are two correct answers. One is the Notrh Pole. "North and South" are not "up and down," it is moving toward the respective pole. Therefor, traveling one mile south of the North Pole, traveling any distance west or east, then one mile north, would put you back at the North Pole.
Click to expand...

Nope.

The other, less common answer, is that there are an infinite number of places on the Earth, where you would end up at the starting location if you were to travel one mile south, west, then north. And that is anywhere 1.159 miles north of the South Pole. You would travel south for one mile, putting you at .159 miles north of the South Pole. Then traveling one mile west would cause you to make a complete circle around the South Pole, ending where the westward mile started. Then travel one mile north and that would put you back at your original starting point.
Click to expand...

Give this man a banana.
 
ScarySquirrel said:
WTF? So if you are 1 mile south of the north pole and you walk straight, will you go on forever on the same path?
Click to expand...

Well, in theory, yes. If you travel directly away from the south pole (any distance), make a 90 degree turn (left or right, doesnt matter), and start walking then you'll keep retracing the same steps for ever.

Sounds weird, but not if you imagine walking far enough that you end up on the equator - then turn 90 degrees and you just keep travelling round the world in perpetuity. (Geographic difficulties notwithstanding...)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom