My watch stopped and then restarted exactly one hour later. What are the odds of this happening?
2006-07-01 06:57:47 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
It all depends on why it stoped.
2006-07-01 07:17:01 · answer #1 · answered by theFo0t 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Infinite. This question is too broad. Most watches will stop and never restart again, one would have to statistically know how many watches there are and what the chances are that the watches would stop and restart again and then determine the infinite "time" number that time represents.
Rewording the question to state assuming a watch stops and will restart again what are the odds that it will restart again in exactly one hour not including fractions of a second. This too is infinite because time is infinite and it may restart at some infinite time in the future though it reads one hour earlier than when it originally stopped. This specific question could be determined with a margin of error.
One may state "Assuming a watch stops and will restart again what are the odds that the watch will READ one hour earlier than the time it starts again (excluding date and fractions of a second). This question will have two answers.
Assuming a watch is set at twelve hours and does not have an am or pm setting (12:00 - 12:00) the time will be 1 in 12 (hours) * 60 (minutes) * 60 seconds =?
Assuming a watch is set at a twenty-four hour time period (0:00 - 24:00 or 12:00 am-12:00 pm and 12:00 pm - 12:00 am) time will be 1 in 24 (hours) * 60 (minutes) * 60 seconds =?
2006-07-01 14:21:30 · answer #2 · answered by Jack Paul 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yea, heck of a deal.. is that what you told your boss(es)? Good one! Can I use it? I mean, keep 'em on their toes and distracted with an impossible probability question? Enough time for you to wing on past 'em... ill-defined parameters can win the day on many an occasion! GOOD WORK!
2006-07-01 14:19:35 · answer #3 · answered by cherodman4u 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It happens every year. Each year, it also jumps ahead 1 hour exactly also. I can't figure it out. People just tell me my watch is either one hour ahead or an hour behind. When you find out, please let me know.
2006-07-01 14:06:52 · answer #4 · answered by Kitiany 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
your watch must have the wrong date on it and it tried to account for daylight savings time.
2006-07-01 16:22:13 · answer #5 · answered by j 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1 in a million =)
Or, if you want to get technical, I don't know.
2006-07-01 14:00:50 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hmmm, I dunno. But you wondering about such a thing has me worried about your mental stability.
2006-07-01 14:01:55 · answer #7 · answered by therego2 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋