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        riddles >> easy >> Hamburgers
        
(Message started by: FiBsTeR on Aug 5^th, 2007, 5:39pm)

Title: Hamburgers
Post by FiBsTeR on Aug 5^th, 2007, 5:39pm

You are cooking hamburgers, and, being quite picky, you want both sides of each burger to be fully cooked, and thus cooked equally. The type of burger and grill you are using are such that if you were to simply place the burger on the grill, the top side would cook in 5 minutes, whereas the bottomside would cook in 2 minutes. To avoid burning the burger, you must therefore cook the burger for some time, then flip it for the remaining time.

How long does it take to cook this burger?

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by JiNbOtAk on Aug 5^th, 2007, 5:48pm

What's wrong with [hide]4[/hide] ?

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by ThudanBlunder on Aug 5^th, 2007, 7:37pm

on 08/05/07 at 17:48:53, JiNbOtAk wrote:

What's wrong with [hide]4[/hide] ?

Wouldn't it be overcooked?

[hide]20/7 minutes. After 5/7 of 2 minutes the bottom side would be 5/7 cooked and the top side would be 2/7 cooked. So flip it over for another 5/7 of two minutes for an al dente hamburger. [/hide]

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by mikedagr8 on Aug 5^th, 2007, 11:20pm

Why is the top side cooked when your doing the bottom side? Why not just cook the whole thing through in 4 minutes?

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by JiNbOtAk on Aug 6^th, 2007, 1:25am

on 08/05/07 at 19:37:52, ThudanBlunder wrote:

Wouldn't it be overcooked?

Ahh, yes. I see it now. Though, would it hold for actual practice ?

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by ThudanBlunder on Aug 6^th, 2007, 4:19am

on 08/05/07 at 23:20:46, mikedagr8 wrote:

Why is the top side cooked when your doing the bottom side?

It is partly cooked (by the heat permeating through the hamburger).

on 08/06/07 at 01:25:37, JiNbOtAk wrote:

Ahh, yes. I see it now. Though, would it hold for actual practice ?

If
the bottom side cooks in b minutes
and
the top side cooks in t minutes
then
time required = 2tb/(t+b), the harmonic mean of b and t

But if the centre is cooked in (t+b)/2 minutes,
then it will not be completely cooked as arithmetric mean > harmonic mean for two positive numbers.

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by FiBsTeR on Aug 6^th, 2007, 10:33am

Good job, ThundanBlunder, and thanks for clarifying the problem.

For this problem, it's safe to assume that there are only 2 parts of the burger: top and bottom. (I'm sure this assumption would not be safe to make if you were a chef.) I just thought of this while eating dinner last night (guess what I was having...).

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by SWF on Aug 6^th, 2007, 9:29pm

After the first minute or so, the top of the burger would be close to 0% cooked, since it takes a while for the top to heat to a reasonable cooking temperature. Assuming the top cooks an amount proportional to time is inaccurate.

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by JiNbOtAk on Aug 7^th, 2007, 4:44am

on 08/06/07 at 21:29:22, SWF wrote:

Well, I guess FiBsTeR is going for the ultra thin hamburgers, eh ?

on 08/06/07 at 10:33:39, FiBsTeR wrote:

For this problem, it's safe to assume that there are only 2 parts of the burger: top and bottom. (I'm sure this assumption would not be safe to make if you were a chef.)

Though, if we are to assume normal condition, even 4 minutes seems insufficient, the top and bottom might be done, the middle portion most probably won't.

So what's the best way to cook a hamburger ? Flip it every 20 seconds or so until both sides are done, or concentrate on each side, minimizing flipping ?

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by mikedagr8 on Aug 7^th, 2007, 4:48am

turn it into a sphere, suspend it in a heating container , heat it until all cooked then reshape. So < 4 minutesi id say then. :P

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by FiBsTeR on Aug 7^th, 2007, 4:54am

Can't you all just appreciate the simplicity of the problem? :'(

If you wanted to go through the riddle site and weed out all the inaccurate/impossible ones, be my guest. Who ever heard of an infinite hotel? How do you play a game with the devil? The list goes on and on. Sorry for adding one more to it.

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by SWF on Aug 7^th, 2007, 6:26am

Please don't take my comments on the answers given so far as criticism of the question. I think this is an very good question

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by Grimbal on Aug 8^th, 2007, 2:51am

Doesn't anybody cook his hamburgers in a toaster? ;)

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by mikedagr8 on Aug 8^th, 2007, 3:01am

um no :P

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by Zatanna on Aug 15^th, 2007, 4:42pm

I would say about 2 minutes, 20 seconds.

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by mikedagr8 on Aug 15^th, 2007, 5:16pm

explain please, my mums a chef and she says that for a traditional aussie style pattie, it should take in total about 5-7 minutes depending on thickness.

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by towr on Aug 16^th, 2007, 12:33am

on 08/15/07 at 17:16:26, mikedagr8 wrote:

explain please, my mums a chef and she says that for a traditional aussie style pattie, it should take in total about 5-7 minutes depending on thickness.

Ah, but see, this isn't an aussie style hamburger, it's a mathematical hamburger!
It defies the culinary laws, as well as the physical ones, probably. ;)

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by JiNbOtAk on Aug 16^th, 2007, 5:42pm

Geez, considering how difficult it is to agree on the cooking time, I shudder to think on the suggestions on the best way to eat a mathematical hamburger. ;D

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by mikedagr8 on Aug 16^th, 2007, 8:38pm

Think, chew, swallow is my answer. :P

Title: Re: Hamburgers
Post by Iceman on Aug 17^th, 2007, 9:57am

Flip the burger every 5 seconds. Or, if you like it bloody as Hell, no need to overcook it. And if you are a cat, no need to cook this burger at all. 8)