is anyone really good at math????

[element2k5]

hey i came across this problem a while ago.... and im still trying to figure it out.. i am still convinced that the banana can't exist... my friend says its 5.75"... i need help... linky
and tell me how u did it...

 

[Legendary]

Bump for an interesting problem...if it's not done when I get back...I'll give it a better look...it's much too early

 

[Capn]

you sure he wasn't telling you the length of his banana?

 

[element2k5]

do all ATOT threads have to have inappropriate connotations in them???

 

[samgau]

I get 13.75 inches... now thats one big banana... :Q

 

[ShizNitz]

OK, I came up with -6 inches (incorrect). Where did I go wrong?

x=length of rope
y=age of monkey
z=weight of monkey
a=age of monkey's mother
b=weight of banana
c=weight of rope
d=length of banana
e=weight of weight

Here are my equations:

z/2 + b = 1/4(c +e)
z + b = e

b = 2d
x = y
z = a
y + a = 30
3(1/2(4/2(1/3(3(y/4))))))) = 2a ------> 3y=2a

Here are my results:

a =18
b = -6
c = 4
d = -12
e = 12
x = 12
y = 12
z = 18

 

[samgau]

Ok.. how I got to that answer...
from the last part of the problem... I figured out that the weight of the mother is 3/2 the weight of the monkey, the trick is to start from the end and work to the beginning... from that I get the Age of the monkey's mother to be 18 = weight of the monkey in ounces.
then I expressed the weight of the banana in terms of the weight of the monkey... i get Wb=(960-35xWm)/12 so the weight of the banana comes out to be 13.75... I have to doublechek the math... probably an arithmetic error somewhere...

 

[samgau]

Shiz Nitz... we have the same age for the monkey's mother = 18 so I'm assuming that this is a correct answer... now for the rest..

 

[Wizkid]

OK, I got mother = 18 and money = 12 as well.

So then, rope is 12 feet long
money weighs 18 ounces
rope = 12(1/3) = 4 lb = 64 ounces

half weight of monkey + weight of banana = 1/4 (weight of weight + weight of rope)
1/2 (18) + B = 1/4 (18 + 64)
9 + B = 20.5
B = 11.5

Therefore, weight of banana is 11.5 oz, divide by 2 to get length: 5.75 inches

 

[Cerebus451]

<< i am still convinced that the banana can't exist >>


If the fence were frictionless and the system balanced, you are correct the banana could not exist since one side of the system would weight more than the other, but this is a math problem, not a physics problem.

 

[samgau]

Ok.. i redid my calc and I get 5.75 inches too....
the fudge i made was the equation for
"One half of the weight of the monkey, plus the weight of the banana, is one fourth
as much as the weight of the weight and the weight of the rope"
which I wrote down as
(1/2)(Wm1)+Wb=(1/4)Ww+Wr
instead of
(1/2)(Wm1)+Wb=(1/4)(Ww+Wr)

the banana has a more acceptable length now....

 

[element2k5]

well i don't believe that the problem ever said anything about being balanced...

 

[element2k5]

bump

 

[rgwalt]

I'm pretty tired... too tired to do the problem, but I have an urge to play Donky Kong Country.

Ryan