Problem 193 — How high you rise depends on how low the other guy sinks, as this month’s problem by Lee Greben of Phoenix, N.Y., demonstrates.
“Places, places, everyone!” shouted director Marius Stinnt. “We’ll begin rehearsing Act II immediately!”
The scene was the set of the new minimalist play, “Big Nothing: The History of the Word.” The set for the second act consisted of a cutaway view of two walls and a floor. A white ladder and a black ladder criss-crossed each other 10 ft above the floor. A gray ladder would be parallel to the floor and span the width for the second act at exactly the point where the two ladders crossed. Stinnt had special-ordered the gray ladder to be exactly 32 ft. It had been flown in the night before at no little expense.
The two walls join the floor at right angles. The white and black ladders measure 42 ft and 33 ft, respectively. How wide is the floor? Will Stinnt have to special- order another ladder?
(Hint: Use a trigonometry table!)
Send your answer to:
Fun With Fundamentals
POWER TRANSMISSION DESIGN
1100 Superior Ave.
Cleveland, OH
44114-2543
Deadline is May 10. Good luck!
Technical consultant, Jack Couillard, Menasha, Wis.