2006-09-05 09:15:14 · 46 answers · asked by gregpalmer1983 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
1 1/5 inch, like the size of your brain
2006-09-05 09:17:11 · answer #1 · answered by mortisia2121 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
This is a question that has intrigued mathematicians for centuries - and is not as naive a question as it first appears!
Consider the coastline of Norway - how long is it? If you have a map and measure the outline and compare your measurement with the scale of the map you will find an answer. If, however, you have a more detailed map showing the fjords your measurement will be longer still. But this still doesn't detail all the small inlets and crevices in the rocks that make up the fjords. The more detail you can see, the longer the coastline!
Now back to the string - if the piece of string is perfectly straight, then there's not a problem, but if the string has a zigzagged microscopic structure:
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Then the length of the string could be significantly more than the distance from one end to the other. When you consider that each of the / or \ above could be zigzagged, with each of their / or \ being zigzagged, then the length of a piece of string could be infinite!
2006-09-06 00:19:50 · answer #2 · answered by Friseal 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Intrinsically a piece of string has length but that length is unknown hence the phrase 'how long is a piece of string'. This means that the quantitative answer is not known and there is an implicate understanding that the answer will be difficult to find given the information available.
2006-09-05 09:18:57 · answer #3 · answered by Dean C 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A PIECE OF STRING is 17 characters long
2006-09-07 23:45:56 · answer #4 · answered by pj.viduya 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well the dictionary definition of the word piece is: "A thing considered as a unit or an element of a larger thing, quantity, or class; a portion: a piece of string"
So to answer your question: It's the same length as other equal pieces of string. Shorter than longer ones and much longer than much shorter ones.
2006-09-05 09:20:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a question with no correct answer. A piece of string could be a number of lengths. Depending on how long you cut it.
Why would you ask a question like this? Are you really this stupid or are you just bored??
Or, better yet, Why am I answering it?????????????
2006-09-05 09:19:15 · answer #6 · answered by Grace M 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
in order to answer this let
P= portion of the string in question
S= length of all the string in the world
N= number of pieces of string in the world
so
P= S/N
note: This equation assumes that all strings are the same length.
2006-09-05 09:29:05 · answer #7 · answered by bretttwarwick 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a piece of string is...17 characters long
2006-09-05 09:17:10 · answer #8 · answered by scratch golfer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if string was 100m....it would be 100m..
if the piece of string was all the string in the world it wouldnt be a piece of the string...i suppose..but then more are made every minute.
well really its however long you want. = ) which is prob what other ppl have said, right?
2006-09-07 06:00:52 · answer #9 · answered by pandamad2005 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
twice as long as the distance from one end to the middle....
and i'd have said "a piece of string" was 14 letters long, 17 if you count the spaces.....
2006-09-05 09:17:17 · answer #10 · answered by elf 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
a piece of string is however long you cut it to be, or however long the manufacturer makes it.
2006-09-05 09:49:53 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋