document.write( "Question 1163342: A coin with a 2-cm diameter is dropped onto a sheet of paper ruled by parallel lines that are 3 cm apart. Which is more likely, that the coin will land on a line, or that it will not? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #787418 by ikleyn(52781)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! . \n" ); document.write( "A coin with a 2-cm diameter is dropped onto a sheet of paper ruled by parallel lines that are 3 cm apart. \n" ); document.write( "Which is more likely, that the coin will land on a line, or that it will not? \n" ); document.write( "~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \r\n" ); document.write( "Notice that the radius of the coin is 1 centimeter.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "We should track the position of the center of the coin at the coordinate plane relative to the lines of the grid.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Actually, we can concentrate our attention tracking the position of the center inside one fixed cell of the grid.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " If the center of the coin is closer than 1 cm to some integer line of the grid, then the coin INEVITABLY will cover that line.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "So, in the fixed grid cell, we should draw the square of the side size of 1 centimeter, centered at the center of this cell.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "This square has the area of 1 square centimeter, while the basic square of the grid has the area of 3*3 = 9 square centimeters..\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "The small square is the \"favorable\" area: if the coin's center gets there, the coin will not cover any line of the grid.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "And in opposite, if the coin's center is in the base square outside the small square, the coin will INEVITABLY cover at least one of the grid lines..\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "It means that the probability that the coin will not land on the line is\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Solved.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "It is one of classic problems of the Elementary Geometric Probability theory.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "For other similar solved problem, see the lesson\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " - Classic problem of Elementary Geometric Probability theory \r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "in this site.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "/\/\/\/\/\/\/\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "In my solution I assumed that the sheet of paper is classic graph paper, ruled by parallel and perpendicular lines \n" ); document.write( "that are 3 cm apart making square grid.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "If there are only parallel lines and there are no perpendicular lines, then the answer is different, \n" ); document.write( "but the logic of the solution remains the same.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "You consider then parallel lines and infinite stripes of the unit width, instead of squares.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "In this case, the probability that the coin will land on some line is \n" ); document.write( "while the probability that it will not land is the complement \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |