20 Comments
User's avatar
Freeq O’Nature's avatar

1 - 1.25 inches on my phone screen

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Jimychanga's avatar

Never mind DEI. Give this man a job!!

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Michelle's avatar

They are next to each other. No distance between them.

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Toxicanadian's avatar

This is my answer as well

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Richard Seager's avatar

Zero.

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Charles Summers's avatar

For Amazon, the distance between the poles is the distance necessary to cause the governments to shut down all retail competitors and force everyone to shop online with Amazon. No geometry required!

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jean's avatar

I only want to be pen pals with amazon, they can send me money.

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Alan Lovejoy's avatar

The solution can be approximated using the Pythagorean Theorem: C**2 = A**2 + B**2

1) The distance from one of the poles to the midpoint between them is A.

2) The distance from the midpoint of the imaginary line connecting the tops of the two poles to the low point of the cable is necessarily 40 meters, which is B is the formula (50 = 40 + 10.)

3) The distance from the top of one of the poles to the low point of the cable is approximately 40 meters (but is less than that, because the cable is necessarily longer than the straight-line distance.)

So the approximate answer is computed by solving the formula for A as the unknown, and then multiplying the result by 2:

~40**2 = A**2 + 40**2 (where "~40" means "approximately 40, but less than that.)

=> A**2 = ~40**2 - 40**2.

=> A**2 = a small number less than 0.

=> A = a small number less than 0.

=> 2A = a small number less than 0.

But that means that the separation between the poles has to be zero, because a negative distance of separation between the two poles makes no physical sense.

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Richard Seager's avatar

yeah it’s zero.

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James Allin's avatar

How can the answer be zero when there is obviously space between the two poles?

The hanging cable would necessarily be half-circular: 50-10 (40) x 2 half diameters which is 80 m

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Lloyd Miller's avatar

A simpler way to reason is that it must be a trick question because it is a very difficult problem involving physics and math if the answer isn't zero.

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Bill's avatar

I could give a much more precise answer with more precise measurements such as 50.0 feet and 10.0 feet. With only one significant figure, the range is possible answers is quite large. If 50 means anything between 45.1 and 54.9, then my answer would have quite a range, appearing almost comical. If these measurements are accurate to 2 significant figures instead of just 1, my range of possible answers is much more manageable.

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Seeker's avatar

If you use a circumference of 2x80=160 m

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Jimychanga's avatar

Amazon is inclusive. There are many paths up the mountain.

But not this one

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Seeker's avatar

50 m

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Jimychanga's avatar

Go fish

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Eric's avatar

My best guess is 30 meters

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Jimychanga's avatar

Close enough. You're hired

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Richard Seager's avatar

Explains Amazon pretty well.

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User's avatar
Comment deleted
May 25, 2024
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Jimychanga's avatar

Yes! Unfortunately we already hired Freeq 'O Nature for the global leadership position

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