Re: Archimedes- Inclined cyl in cylinder. Whats smallest Or pot (3mm

don.lotto@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:

> Archimedes- Inclined cyl in cylinder. Whats smallest Or pot (3mm
> thickness) to cook corn cob for one?  18cm x 5cm Diam?
> 
> pi r^2 * h = pi/4 x (18^2+5^2)*5.

When you omit this many words, it's difficult for us to figure out
what you meant to ask.

Based on real-world knowledge of the typical shape of corn cobs,
"18cm x 5cm Diam" can be expanded to "the puzzle involves a single
cylindrical corn cob with length 18 cm and diameter 5 cm".

"pi/4 x (18^2+5^2)*5" suggests 1/4 of a cylindrical pot with diameter
sqrt(18^2+5^2) cm (just long enough to hold the corn cob's diagonal in
the xy plane) and height 5 cm.  Why 1/4, though?  And if we can tilt
the corn cob in the direction of the z axis to decrease the internal
volume of the pot, then why can't we tilt it fully upright (length
parallel to the z axis), and use a pot with diameter 5 cm and height
18 cm?  (Well, slightly larger, so that there's at least a little room
for water.)

The ability to fit the corn cob into the pot depends solely on the pot's
internal dimensions; its thickness only affects its external dimensions.