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Topic: Ping Pong (Read 756 times) |
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maryl
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You are in a room that is an 8x8x8 perfect cube. There are no windows, or doors (don't ask me how you got in there!) In the center of the floor there is a 12 inch pipe that is sticking 6 inches out of the floor. In the bottom of the pipe is a ping pong ball with a diameter that is one millemeter smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe. You have a 12 inch piece of string, a match, a magnifying glass, a 6" ruler and a paperclip. How do you get the ping pong ball out of the hole?
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towr
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Re: Ping Pong
« Reply #1 on: Aug 17th, 2003, 9:59am » |
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::tie the string to the paperclip, heat the end of the paperclip and lower it onto the pingpong ball, some part of it will melt, wait till it solidifies again so it's stuck to the paperclip, pull it up.::
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maryl
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Ok, towr, let's say you have absolutely no supplies, how would you get the ping pong ball out of the hole?
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towr
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Re: Ping Pong
« Reply #3 on: Aug 17th, 2003, 3:06pm » |
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:: if the cube is not connected to the floor (which it may well be) (and asside from the pipe), oh and also light enough.. jump, push the cube up 6 inches, roll the cube, 1 quarter turn is probably enough, but two (pipe at top should be enough.)
Also let's suppose it's 8 by 8 feet or something, rather than inches or meters or flemmish els.
Actually, let's first try if we can't just pull the pipe from the floor..
I'd suppose cloths don't count as supplies, so if all else fails, we can rip some cloths into strips, and see if spit has enough adhesive power.
Failing that, pretend to be a girl with a push-up bra, and remove the metal thingy-part-bit from the bra, and bend it straight (maybe attach metal thingies from both cups together). Then either try to pry the pingpong ball from the pipe, or failing that push small strips of clothing under the ping pong ball, so lifting it little by little.
Come to think of it, I could probabluy sacrify my glasses in a similar fassion (would be easier if they were true wire-frame glasses).
::
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Lupin
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Re: Ping Pong
« Reply #4 on: Aug 17th, 2003, 6:08pm » |
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No supplies at all? There’s an easy way … you don’t need to use force or rip your clothes. In fact, you may even be naked and get the ball out.
The diameter of a ping pong ball is 40 mm. so the inside diameter of the tube is 4.1 cm., its radius is 2.05 cm and its length is 12 inches or 30.48 cm … therefore the volume of the tube is 409.62 cc or less than two cups … no problema … all you need is good aim and the ball should come out … maybe somewhat discolored (sorry), but intact.
On the other hand, ping pong balls are sold for less than a dollar a piece, so why bother?
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Kozo Morimoto
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Re: Ping Pong
« Reply #5 on: Aug 17th, 2003, 7:10pm » |
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Can you urinate into the pipe and make the ball float to the top? You may have to wait a fair while to make enough urine to fill up the pipe though...
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towr
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Re: Ping Pong
« Reply #6 on: Aug 18th, 2003, 12:47am » |
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then bleed it out.. just bite in your finger or something and bleed a pint or two in the pipe, it should also float the pingpong ball out..
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Sameer
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Re: Ping Pong
« Reply #7 on: Aug 18th, 2003, 12:06pm » |
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If you like to "suck" maybe u can pull up the ping pong ball using ur "sucking" power 
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"Obvious" is the most dangerous word in mathematics.
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towr
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Re: Ping Pong
« Reply #8 on: Aug 18th, 2003, 12:33pm » |
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you'd need something like a straw for that..
Unless I'm missing something indicated by your ""'s
Blowing might work, but doubtfull..
Perhaps vibrating the pipe in just the right way (such that the pingpongball gets a hit upwards everytime it touches the inside of the pipe)
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maryl
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Ping pong balls float-with any kind of fluid. My son actually had to do this in class, only he was allowed to use water out of a bottle.
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towr
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Re: Ping Pong
« Reply #10 on: Aug 19th, 2003, 3:07am » |
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I'm almost sure there must be some kind of fluid with which it doesn't work, even if it works with most..
hmm.. lava is fluid, isn't it
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maryl
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You are jerking my chain, right. That's Ok, I deserve it I'm sure. You were very inventive with your answers but once again, it only takes the bare necessities of life.
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