Naked Science Forum
On the Lighter Side => That CAN'T be true! => Topic started by: mar_mazz on 19/10/2005 09:18:00
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Hi guys!
Does anyone know how many times I should fold a piece of paper (hei, I mean a NORMAL piece of paper, A4 size)... to cover the distance between Earth and the Moon?
have fun!
[:o)] Marzia
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Isn't it something that you just wouldn't believe...like only fifty times ?...
Men are the same as women.... just inside out !! (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerogain.com%2Fforum%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Faction-smiley-075.gif&hash=84631c0c4a382b5e68463904b7b9fddf)
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Something like that.
Except it's actually impossible to fold a piece of paper in half more than about 8 times.
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There's a set limit to how many times you can fold a piece of paper regardless of size or the type of paper (or anything) [:D] So the answer is you can't. If you wanted to work it out in theory, then the thickness of the paper doubles with every fold. Say the paper is a tenth of a millimeter thick. 0.00001m and the average distance to the moon is 382,500,000m..
Since im a computery person here you go:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#define papthck 0.00001
#define moondst 382500000.0
/**
* getfolds.c
*
* Lets work out the paper folds to some distance!
* Default to the number of folds to the MOON.
* Ultima (2005-10-22)
* */
long getfolds (double start, double end);
/*
* 1st arg thickness of material, followed by distance to reach.
*/
int main (argc, argv)
int argc;
char **argv;
{
if (argc == 1) {
printf("No. of paper folds to MOON: %ld\n",getfolds(papthck,moondst));
}
else {
printf("No. of folds: %ld\n",getfolds(atof(argv[1]),atof(argv[2])));
}
return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}
/*
* Get that sassy value you want.
*/
long getfolds (start, end)
double start;
double end;
{
static long number = 0;
if (start >= end) return number;
start *= 2;
number ++;
getfolds(start, end);
return number;
}
The answer is 46 give or take a fold [;)]
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Folding.html
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...amazing...so my guestimate at 50 was pretty darn close !!
Men are the same as women.... just inside out !! (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerogain.com%2Fforum%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Faction-smiley-075.gif&hash=84631c0c4a382b5e68463904b7b9fddf)
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Well that depends what you mean by close [:)] it would be 2^4 x <distance to the moon> out.
I was surprised it was so little and I know what exponential growth is like from programming [:D]. One thing to think about is bacteria populations grow in a similar manner [;)]
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You lost me at "hi"
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A related link, in case anyone's interested:
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2946