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From: doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee)
Newsgroups: net.puzzle
Subject: Carbon-14 dating the barometer quiz...
Message-ID: <521@terak.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Apr-85 13:12:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: terak.521
Posted: Mon Apr 29 13:12:30 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 1-May-85 07:02:13 EDT
References: <257@moncol.UUCP> <367@cmu-cs-k.ARPA>, <175@frog.UUCP> <1091@ecsvax.UUCP>
Organization: Terak Corporation, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Lines: 13

I can guarantee that the "measure the height of a building with a
barometer" question with its unexpected answers was around at least in
1966, when my high-school Physics teacher distributed a mimeographed
copy to the class.  I didn't keep it (or if I did, I don't know where
to find it).  My favorite answer was the one about trading the barometer
for the required info.  Other answers:  time how long it takes to fall
from the top of the building; tie it to a string, lower it from the roof
and measure the length of the string; swing it from a string and time
the period of the pendulum; measure it with a ruler and measure the
building with it; and measure it, its shadow, and the building's shadow
with a ruler and triangulate.
-- 
Doug Pardee -- Terak Corp. -- !{hao,ihnp4,decvax}!noao!terak!doug