A Conversation for The H2IQ Quiz - Be The First Among Equals
Monday 20th January 2003
GreeboTCat Started conversation Jan 20, 2003
Two cars are approaching each other each traveling at a constant velocity of 60 mph. When the cars are two miles apart, a very fast fly leaves the front bumper of one of the cars and travels toward the other at a speed of 120 mph. Upon reaching that auto, the fly immediately reverses direction. This continues until the autos collide. How far did the fly travel?
Monday 20th January 2003
broelan Posted Jan 20, 2003
i get spook's answer, but i never was very good at maths 
Monday 20th January 2003
spook Posted Jan 20, 2003
i think i am right. it takes 1 minute for them to crash, and in that time the cars travel 1 mile. since the fly is travelling at twice the peed, it travels twice the distance, 2 miles...i think
spook
Monday 20th January 2003
Mu Beta Posted Jan 21, 2003
Hang on a minute - when have you ever seen a fly approach your car, whip round and then go the other way, rather than just going *pflt* on the windscreen?
B
Monday 20th January 2003
The Ghost of Polidari Posted Jan 21, 2003
The fly travelled 1 mile. At which point it hit the second car - explaining why it immediately reversed direction...
Though depending on the mass of the fly, there would be a decrease in the speed of the car it hit. This was would be very minor, unless it was a reealllly big fly. I think I need to go and have a lie down...
Monday 20th January 2003
GreyDesk Posted Jan 21, 2003
Actually it would have flown one and a third miles by your logic 
Monday 20th January 2003
Mu Beta Posted Jan 21, 2003
In fairness - I was going to give the same answer as Poli.
B
Monday 20th January 2003
Zak T Duck Posted Jan 21, 2003
1 3/4 miles, purely cos it hasn't been said and I left my mechanics problem brain back at sixth form college years ago.
Monday 20th January 2003
GreeboTCat Posted Jan 22, 2003
Well done Spook... you are indeed correct... a point to you... ~grin~
Key: Complain about this post
Monday 20th January 2003
- 1: GreeboTCat (Jan 20, 2003)
- 2: spook (Jan 20, 2003)
- 3: GreyDesk (Jan 20, 2003)
- 4: broelan (Jan 20, 2003)
- 5: spook (Jan 20, 2003)
- 6: GreyDesk (Jan 20, 2003)
- 7: Mu Beta (Jan 21, 2003)
- 8: spook (Jan 21, 2003)
- 9: The Ghost of Polidari (Jan 21, 2003)
- 10: GreyDesk (Jan 21, 2003)
- 11: Mu Beta (Jan 21, 2003)
- 12: The Ghost of Polidari (Jan 21, 2003)
- 13: Zak T Duck (Jan 21, 2003)
- 14: GreeboTCat (Jan 22, 2003)
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