11 February 2009

Math quiz



A backhoe weighing 8.1 tons is on top of a flatbed trailer heading east on Interstate 70 near Hays, Kansas. The extended shovel arm is made of hardened steel and the approaching overpass is made of commercial grade concrete, reinforced with 1 1/2 inch steel rebar spaced at 6 inch intervals in a crisscross pattern layered at 1 foot vertical spacing.

The truck is traveling at 75 MPH. The bridge is stationary. Assume no braking by the truck driver.

How far into the bridge will the backhoe travel?

(This "quiz" and the photos have been circulating on the 'net for several years; I just received them today from a friend up north and thought they were worth sharing for others who might not have seen them. Original credit unknown. Thanks, Skip!)

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