Problem 194 — Seeing is not necessarily believing, as this month’s problem by Dan Saunders of Hazlehurst, Ga., demonstrates.
Judge Dockett of the Tooterville Court of Common Pleas wearily slammed his gavel for the next case to be heard. In marched Buford DePouff to contest a speeding ticket he received just inside the town limits. He had been clocked doing 40 mph in a 35-mph zone by the judge’s vociferous son-in-law, Sheriff Slammer. The sheriff staked his longstanding reputation as the best ticketer in the county on this 40-mph reading.
DePouff stood in his own defense. He had started up from a complete stop. The policeman who had pulled him over had taken a radar reading 10 sec after De- Pouff started off. DePouff’s car was a twowheel- drive type where the driver wheels supported 40% of the car’s weight. The coefficient of friction between the tires and pavement was found to be 0.375. The road was level. Neglect wind effects. Given these facts, DePouff claimed he could not have been doing 40 mph. Who is right? Calculate DePouff’s speed in mph to see if he’d better have his checkbook handy.
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Deadline is July 10. Good luck!
Technical consultant, Jack Couillard, Menasha, Wis.
