KenpoTex
Senior Master
The question on the physics test read:
"DESCRIBE HOW TO DETERMINE THE HEIGHT OF A SKYSCRAPER WITH A BAROMETER."
One student replied:
You tie a long piece of string to the neck of the barometer, then lower
the barometer from the roof of the skyscraper to the ground. The
length of the string plus the length of the barometer will equal the
height of the building.
This highly original answer so incensed the examiner that the student
was failed immediately. He appealed on the grounds that his answer was
indisputably correct, and the university appointed an independent
arbiter to decide the case.
The arbiter judged that the answer was indeed correct, but did not
display any noticeable knowledge of physics. To resolve the problem it
was decided to call the student in and allow him six minutes in which
to provide a verbal answer that showed at least a minimal familiarity
with the basic principles of physics.
For five minutes the student sat in silence, forehead creased in
thought. The arbiter reminded him that time was running out, to which
the student replied that he had several extremely relevant answers but
couldn't make up his mind which one to use. On being advised to hurry
up, the student replied as follows:
Firstly, you could take the barometer up to the roof of the skyscraper,
drop it over the edge, and measure the time it takes to reach the
ground. The height of the building can then be worked out from the
formula H = 0.5g x t squared. But you will break the barometer.
Or if the sun is shining, you could measure the height of the
barometer, then set it on end and measure the length of its shadow.
Then you measure the length of the skyscraper's shadow, and thereafter
it is a simple matter of proportional arithmetic to work out the height
of the skyscraper.
But if you wanted to be highly scientific about it, you could tie a
short piece of string to the barometer and swing it like a pendulum,
first at ground level and then on the roof of the skyscraper. The
height is worked out by the difference in the gravitational restoring
force T = 2 pi square root (1/g).
If you merely wanted to be boring and orthodox about it, of course, you
could use the barometer to measure the air pressure on the roof of the
skyscraper and on the ground, and convert the difference in millibars
into feet to give the height of the building.
But since we are constantly being exhorted to exercise independence of
mind and apply scientific methods, undoubtedly the best way would be to
knock on the Janitor's door and say to him, "If you would like a nice
new barometer, I will give you this one if you tell me the height of
this skyscraper."
THE STUDENT WAS NIELS BOHR, THE ONLY DANE TO WIN THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR
PHYSICS.
"DESCRIBE HOW TO DETERMINE THE HEIGHT OF A SKYSCRAPER WITH A BAROMETER."
One student replied:
You tie a long piece of string to the neck of the barometer, then lower
the barometer from the roof of the skyscraper to the ground. The
length of the string plus the length of the barometer will equal the
height of the building.
This highly original answer so incensed the examiner that the student
was failed immediately. He appealed on the grounds that his answer was
indisputably correct, and the university appointed an independent
arbiter to decide the case.
The arbiter judged that the answer was indeed correct, but did not
display any noticeable knowledge of physics. To resolve the problem it
was decided to call the student in and allow him six minutes in which
to provide a verbal answer that showed at least a minimal familiarity
with the basic principles of physics.
For five minutes the student sat in silence, forehead creased in
thought. The arbiter reminded him that time was running out, to which
the student replied that he had several extremely relevant answers but
couldn't make up his mind which one to use. On being advised to hurry
up, the student replied as follows:
Firstly, you could take the barometer up to the roof of the skyscraper,
drop it over the edge, and measure the time it takes to reach the
ground. The height of the building can then be worked out from the
formula H = 0.5g x t squared. But you will break the barometer.
Or if the sun is shining, you could measure the height of the
barometer, then set it on end and measure the length of its shadow.
Then you measure the length of the skyscraper's shadow, and thereafter
it is a simple matter of proportional arithmetic to work out the height
of the skyscraper.
But if you wanted to be highly scientific about it, you could tie a
short piece of string to the barometer and swing it like a pendulum,
first at ground level and then on the roof of the skyscraper. The
height is worked out by the difference in the gravitational restoring
force T = 2 pi square root (1/g).
If you merely wanted to be boring and orthodox about it, of course, you
could use the barometer to measure the air pressure on the roof of the
skyscraper and on the ground, and convert the difference in millibars
into feet to give the height of the building.
But since we are constantly being exhorted to exercise independence of
mind and apply scientific methods, undoubtedly the best way would be to
knock on the Janitor's door and say to him, "If you would like a nice
new barometer, I will give you this one if you tell me the height of
this skyscraper."
THE STUDENT WAS NIELS BOHR, THE ONLY DANE TO WIN THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR
PHYSICS.
