[Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] Physics question

[Mitchell I. Wolfe]

The classic wheat and chessboard problem [3] first recorded in 1256 also 
exhibits similar characteristics. Sometimes people start with a penny 
instead of a grain of wheat. Either way the nation's treasury is 
depleted well before the 64th square.

Even at much lower increments, Albert Einstein famously referred to 
compound interest as the eight wonder of the world.

Geometric progressions can blow up...

On 2023-09-27 13:40, Jon Dreyer via LCTG wrote:

> 2^10 is about 1000, so 2^50 would be about (2^10)^5 which is about 
> 1000^5 or 10^15.
> 
> A ream of paper is 500 sheets and about 2" high so 1000 sheets would be 
> 4" high so each sheet is 4*10^-3 high. Multiplying that by 10^15, which 
> is the number of thicknesses of paper, we get 4*10^12". To convert to 
> miles, divide by 12*5280, which is a bit more than 5*10^4, so we get 
> somewhat less than 10^8 miles. An astronomical unit (Earth-Sun 
> distance) is around 93,000,000 miles (I can still hear my dad's voice 
> telling me that when I'm still a little kid) or about 10^8. So the 
> stack of paper would approximately reach the Sun, way farther than the 
> moon.
> 
> Checking my work, the height of the paper would be
> 
> (2**50)*(4*10.0**(-3))/(12*5280)
> => 71079539.57339798
> 
> which is indeed the same order of magnitude as an astronomical unit. Of 
> course the mass of that folded stack of paper would be so huge that 
> we'd have crashed into the Sun, or vice versa. So kids, don't try this 
> at home!
> 
> --
> 
> Jon "Overshoot The Moon" Dreyer
> Math Tutor/Computer Science Tutor [1]
> Jon Dreyer Music [2]
> 
> On 9/27/23 1:04 PM, Steve Parus via LCTG wrote:
> 
>> The change in diameter is equal to the change in circumference divided 
>> by pi.
>> 
>> Another one: if a piece of paper is repeatedly folded in half 50 
>> times, would its thickness reach the moon?
>> 
>> Steve Parus
> 
> ===============================================
> ::The Lexington Computer and Technology Group Mailing List::
> Reply goes to sender only; Reply All to send to list.
> Send to the list: LCTG at lists.toku.us      Message archives: 
> http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/
> To subscribe: email lctg-subscribe at toku.us  To unsubscribe: email 
> lctg-unsubscribe at toku.us
> Future and Past meeting information: http://LCTG.toku.us
> List information: http://lists.toku.us/listinfo.cgi/lctg-toku.us
> This message was sent to mwolfe at vinebrook.com.
> Set your list options: 
> http://lists.toku.us/options.cgi/lctg-toku.us/mwolfe@vinebrook.com



Links:
------
[1] http://www.passionatelycurious.com
[2] http://music.jondreyer.com
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_and_chessboard_problem
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/attachments/20230927/05a8a7ff/attachment.htm>