Stacking the deck, just to be sure; a dependable springboard for the future
Above is a side view of a deck of ordinary playing cards.
Due to comportment issues, the jokers have been forcibly extricated.
The top card is slid as far right as theoretically possible without toppling.
Then the second card down is slid as far right as possible without toppling.
Then the third card down is slid right as far as possible without toppling.
This process continues as each successive card is slid right, to its theoretical limit.
The process stops after the 50th card has been slid as far right as possible.
Each card has a length of 10 centimeters and a weight of 10 irrelevant grams.
Find the total distance x from the right edge of the top card to the right edge of the two unmoved cards after the 50th card has been slid.
x = __________
First correct answer sent to [email protected] wins a gift card worth plenty of ice cream at Tucker’s Ice Cream of Alameda.
Due to the Easter Bunny being in town, there was no winner for last week’s puzzle. The answer, however, was P = 2159 units.
Jeff Smith is a former Math teacher and a retired US Navy Lieutenant Commander. Reach him at [email protected].
