The Triangle's Puzzle

[AB Hammer]

I rotated you picture clockwise, and I saw your little man on the bottom of the page with those weights hitting him on the head. LOL

No it is not the greatest mathematical puzzle in the history of math. Add rotation dynamics and it still falls short.

[gmbajszar]

It is the greatest puzzle in the history of mathematics, because:

a) He holds ten weights vertically. On a 45 degree slope he can hold 20 weights, so the two sides balance out.
b) We measure the length of 10 weights, and the length of 20 weights on a 45 degree slope. 20 weights extend longer down on the right side.
c) We connect the triangle on the bottom, we see that the left side can be proven to be heavier, since we can only fit 14.4 weights on the right side if we can fit 10 weights on the left side of the triangle. When balance needs 20 weights on the right side.

George

[fletcher]

So George, it should be pretty easy for you to make a model using a lubricated slope & continuous chain, & some pulleys to reduce frictions - it should revolve CCW continuously if you are correct - if it doesn't then "Houston, we have a problem" & your math may be incomplete.

[gmbajszar]

It won't work, but what is interesting is to discover the paradox in the math of this puzzle.
The puzzle doesn't require a genius to understand in what it discloses.

My theory is that it doesn't work for 'other' reasons that man is not supposed to know.

[tinman]

It is the greatest puzzle in the history of mathematics, because:

a) He holds ten weights vertically. On a 45 degree slope he can hold 20 weights, so the two sides balance out.
b) We measure the length of 10 weights, and the length of 20 weights on a 45 degree slope. 20 weights extend longer down on the right side.
c) We connect the triangle on the bottom, we see that the left side can be proven to be heavier, since we can only fit 14.4 weights on the right side if we can fit 10 weights on the left side of the triangle. When balance needs 20 weights on the right side.

George

You forgot to take into account that the 10 weight's on the left side,travel a shorter distance than the 14.4 weight's on the right side(45* slope) So although less energy is required to move the weight's up the 45* slope,the energy must be applied over a longer distance than that of the 10 weights on the left side. It would take exactly 14.4 weight's to fall on the left side (vertical drop) to pull the 14.4 weights up the 45* slope.