> I really like problems like this one for its unexpected answer.
[snip]
Notwithstanding my previous comments about the problem, I might also use
such a problem in class discussion (but not for homework) with some HINT
that it is a "joke", designed to make a point.
The "string around the globe" problem is one that I DO use in Calculus
class as motivation for study of the differential. Most students are
surprised by the answer, which seems almost magical until we discuss the
behavior of "linear" functions.
BTW, realism is less important here because the circumference is
irrelevant. And I use a slack of 6.28 meters and offer a multiple choice
of 1 centimeter, 10 centimeters, 1 meter. Guess which one most folks choose!
matthewg@goliath.sunyocc.edu
George E. Matthews, Onondaga Community College, Syracuse, NY13215
(315) 469-2381
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