document.write( "Question 214110: In Japan, to get on a train you are not allowed to have an object over the length of 36 inches. How did a man get on a train with a ceremonial sword of 42 inches long? \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #161717 by Earlsdon(6294) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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The man could package the 42-inch sword in a flat box whose dimensions are:
\n" ); document.write( "h = 36 inches, w = 22 inches, and depth of, say, 2 inches.
\n" ); document.write( "Why would this work?
\n" ); document.write( "Let's say that sword is placed in the flat box so that it lies along the diagonal of the box.
\n" ); document.write( "So with a diagonal of 42 inches, a height of 36 inches, and a width of 22 inches, we can see, from the Pythagorean theorem, that the sword would fit inside the box and the box would not exceed 36 inches in length.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"c%5E2+=+a%5E2%2Bb%5E2\"$ c = the diagonal (length of the sword), a = 36 (the length of the box) and b = 22 (the width of the box).
\n" ); document.write( " $\"42%5E2+=+36%5E2%2B22%5E2\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"1764+=+1296%2B484\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"1764+=+1780\"$
\n" ); document.write( "The actual width of the box really need be only 21.6 inches but I rounded up the nearest inch. \n" ); document.write( "

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