Brain Teaser

Discussion in 'Physics & Math' started by DaveC426913, Apr 18, 2019.

  1. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    A math teaser I just came up with. May be easy, may be hard. I dunno.

    I have a propane burner that can output between 5K and 30K BTUs. I can set it for 1 of 5 possible levels of output, corresponding to 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6.

    The device is operating as designed, yet it was not designed to have 5 settings. It is not faulty, nor am I using it improperly.

    Why no 5th setting?
     
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  3. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

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    So its a math queston needin an answr... not a mechanical issue.???
     
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  5. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    Those are five settings, but the #5 is skipped over. For some reason I can't begin to imagine, the furnace goes from 20 to 30 K.
    Or, if it's not designed to have more than four settings, the #6 is the off switch.
     
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  7. Beer w/Straw Transcendental Ignorance! Valued Senior Member

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    Peopkee to think searing the meat keeps moisture in -yummy yummy.

    :EDIT:

    I meant people.
     
  8. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Correct.
    Correct.

    What assumptions are you making that would result in such a conclusion?

    Correct.

    No. Zero is not one of the settings.
     
  9. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    Not so much an assumption as this
    If 0 is not available, what do you do when it's hot outside?
     
  10. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

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    Woud it make a difference to the answr of you'r Teaser if the burner output was between say... 2K and 35K BTUs.???

    Is the spot whare "5" woud be the on or off position.???
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2019
  11. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Fair enough.

    I was talking about 'ON' settings; not counting 'OFF" as a setting.

    Alternately, I could say there are six settings: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6.
     
  12. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    5,089
    Okay, but you still skip over #5. presumably, this is significant, but I have no information as to why it should be.
    So i give up.
     
  13. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    In case you want to keep trying, here's a hint. Otherwise, I'll post the answer tomorrow.

    There's an apparently obvious pattern there, sure, but that leads to an inconsistency. What about other, more consistent, patterns?
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2019
  14. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    5,089
    Arbitrary mathematical ones, presumably, rather than practical ones relating to the function of a furnace?
    I'm no good at those.
     
  15. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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  16. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

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  17. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    It was on the tip of my tongue but the diagram is much clearer than any word-explanation that I could have given.
     
  18. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

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    Full Disclosure:::

    I have 2 propane heaters an thats what helped me out

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  19. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    I have an electric heater that's similar: 1, 1.5 and 2.5
     
  20. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Hm. That's a whole 'nother teaser.

    No other settings ('ceptin' zero)?
     
  21. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    Well, I can't swear to the exact numbers but there are two elements, one small one and one big one, so it's one or the other or both.
     
  22. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

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    Ok... complete Full Disclosure:::

    I have no idea how Daves diagram explains the answr to the Brain Teaser

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  23. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Look at the table on the right.

    The settings are: Lo Medium High (outputs 1, 2 and 3) and - independently - one or two burners (so, double that to 2, 4 and 6.)

    The way the ouputs are described in the teaser, you assume a single factor pattern: 1,2,3,4, ..., 6 - leading one to wonder - erroneously - where the 5 is.

    But the actual pattern is two factored, making a table:
    1 2 3
    2 4 6

    As soon as you see this pattern, you realize there's no reason for a 5 at all.
     
    RJBeery likes this.

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