Author |
Topic: hanging nails (Read 816 times) |
|
Noke Lieu
Uberpuzzler
pen... paper... let's go! (and bit of plastic)
Gender: 
Posts: 1884
|
 |
hanging nails
« on: Jan 31st, 2006, 9:23pm » |
 Quote  Modify
|
For one reason or another, I happened to have seven nails in my pocket this morning. Being top little Aussie nails, they were 2.7 cm long, 2mm thick cylinders with a 4 mm circular head (of neglible thickness, but very very strong). Points start tapering 2mm from the end.
Not entirely sure what to do with them, I pushed the first one point first into a film canister.
I then proceded to balance the remaining 6 nails on this protrubrance in a remarkably stable formation, not requiring any adhesives nor magnets.
First... what did the formation look like?
Second... how far apart are the two furthest nail points?
|
| « Last Edit: Jan 31st, 2006, 10:16pm by Noke Lieu » |
 IP Logged |
a shade of wit and the art of farce.
|
|
|
Noke Lieu
Uberpuzzler
pen... paper... let's go! (and bit of plastic)
Gender:
Posts: 1884
|
|
Re: hanging nails
« Reply #1 on: Feb 5th, 2006, 5:55pm » |
Quote Modify
|
(I will later slip this in as an edit to the above post)
Should I mention that this stable configuration survives me tapping the nails enough such that it swings backward and forward by ~20 degrees quite happily.
And there is only one nail touching the upright protruberance.
|
|
IP Logged |
a shade of wit and the art of farce.
|
|
|
Grimbal
wu::riddles Moderator
Uberpuzzler
Gender:
Posts: 7527
|
|
Re: hanging nails
« Reply #2 on: Feb 6th, 2006, 12:38am » |
Quote Modify
|
I bet you are not allowed to bend the nails...
are you?
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
Noke Lieu
Uberpuzzler
pen... paper... let's go! (and bit of plastic)
Gender:
Posts: 1884
|
|
Re: hanging nails
« Reply #4 on: Feb 6th, 2006, 2:06pm » |
Quote Modify
|
I bet at least one of your bets is a safe one.
Today, all the smileys are Christmas elves except  who is a cowboy.
Happening to you as well?
|
| « Last Edit: Feb 6th, 2006, 2:06pm by Noke Lieu » |
IP Logged |
a shade of wit and the art of farce.
|
|
|
Icarus
wu::riddles Moderator
Uberpuzzler
Boldly going where even angels fear to tread.
Gender:
Posts: 4863
|
|
Re: hanging nails
« Reply #5 on: Feb 6th, 2006, 4:50pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Obviously, you posted in the middle of the transition, and that smiley was last to switch, as it is a christmas smiley now.
Either William wants a little Christmas in February, or else the Valentine's Day smileys are slacking off, and the industrious Christmas smileys are filling in. 
|
|
IP Logged |
"Pi goes on and on and on ...
And e is just as cursed.
I wonder: Which is larger
When their digits are reversed? " - Anonymous
|
|
|
shadowdragonvii
Newbie
Posts: 1
|
|
Re: hanging nails
« Reply #6 on: Feb 6th, 2006, 8:52pm » |
Quote Modify
|
you form a cross each time and have the head closest to the center thus forming a cradle then u put a second pair on top in the same position but perpendicular to the subsequent to create a second cradle that keeps the bottom in check and the bottom keeps the top in check after that just place the third row on top in the same way as the first pair
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
Noke Lieu
Uberpuzzler
pen... paper... let's go! (and bit of plastic)
Gender:
Posts: 1884
|
|
Re: hanging nails
« Reply #7 on: Feb 6th, 2006, 10:31pm » |
Quote Modify
|
,.()..
Not meaning to be nasty shadowdragonvii, but punctuation is fairly helpful with these sorts of things.
I am a bit lost with your description. Knowing my answer, I think I can see what you're saying, but it still throws me.
I reckon you're there, but for postderity/clarity, would you like to try and explain your idea once more?
|
|
IP Logged |
a shade of wit and the art of farce.
|
|
|
Grimbal
wu::riddles Moderator
Uberpuzzler
Gender:
Posts: 7527
|
|
Re: hanging nails
« Reply #8 on: Feb 7th, 2006, 9:11am » |
Quote Modify
|
on Jan 31st, 2006, 9:23pm, Noke Lieu wrote:| Second... how far apart are the two furthest nail points? |
|
Lets say... 5 cm ?
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
Noke Lieu
Uberpuzzler
pen... paper... let's go! (and bit of plastic)
Gender:
Posts: 1884
|
|
Re: hanging nails
« Reply #9 on: Feb 7th, 2006, 2:46pm » |
Quote Modify
|
A bit better than I can manage (and keep it stable)
|
|
IP Logged |
a shade of wit and the art of farce.
|
|
|
Grimbal
wu::riddles Moderator
Uberpuzzler
Gender:
Posts: 7527
|
|
Re: hanging nails
« Reply #10 on: Feb 7th, 2006, 5:42pm » |
Quote Modify
|
OK, I tried with actual nails.
I managed a 2.95 cm distance with 2 cm fine Swiss nails, that would translate to 3.98 cm with 2.7 cm top Aussie nails .
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
Noke Lieu
Uberpuzzler
pen... paper... let's go! (and bit of plastic)
Gender:
Posts: 1884
|
|
Re: hanging nails
« Reply #11 on: Feb 7th, 2006, 6:08pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Oh, I can beat that... (Pausing to reflect on the situation...)
Your {calculated} distance wasn't far off my actual distance...
|
|
IP Logged |
a shade of wit and the art of farce.
|
|
|
Grimbal
wu::riddles Moderator
Uberpuzzler
Gender:
Posts: 7527
|
|
Re: hanging nails
« Reply #12 on: Feb 7th, 2006, 6:27pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Actually, my first attempt used a better configuration regarding maximal distance, but it was less stable. It fell when I bumped it with the ruler when trying to measure it and wasn't able to rebuild it afterwards.
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
|
RIDDLES SITE
WRITE MATH!
Home 
Help 
Search 
Members 
Login 
Register
Reply
Notify of replies
Send Topic
Print