2006-09-21 17:51:06 · 3 answers · asked by landshark 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
The Möbius strip or Möbius band (pronounced /ˈmøbiʊs/) is a surface with only one side and only one boundary component. It has the mathematical property of being non-orientable. It was co-discovered independently by the German mathematicians August Ferdinand Möbius and Johann Benedict Listing in 1858.
A model can easily be created by taking a paper strip and giving it a half-twist, and then merging the ends of the strip together to form a single strip. In Euclidean space there are in fact two types of Möbius strips depending on the direction of the half-twist: clockwise and counterclockwise. The Möbius strip is therefore chiral, which is to say that it is "handed".
2006-09-21 22:06:58 · answer #1 · answered by Mye 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A mobius strip is a strip of material that has only one continuous side. You can make one by cutting a strip of paper about a foot long and 1-2 inches wide. Bend the strip into a circle, then flip one end of it over and glue the two ends together. You can show that it has only one surface by starting a pencil line down the center of the strip. Without removing the pencil from the paper, your line will come back to the starting point.
It is named after August Ferdinand Mobius, a German mathematician (1790-1868).
2006-09-21 17:57:52 · answer #2 · answered by barbara m 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a looped piece of paper (well, any material, really) that has a twist in it. Because of the twist, it only has one side. See the sourced link for details.
Yeah, it's named after a guy named August Ferdinand Möbius.
2006-09-21 17:54:45 · answer #3 · answered by Bramblyspam 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋