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woodchucks

MIchael_MichalskiMIchael_Michalski Posts: 138
edited 2019-01-07 22:01 in General Discussion
Suppose woodchucks have the ability to load lumber (probably into the back of a truck or a bin of some sort) by throwing or tossing it. Furthermore, due to fatigue, assume that a woodchucks ability to transfer lumber has a rate inversely proportional to the total mass of lumber he or she has already transferred. Find an expression for the total mass of lumber a woodchuck can transfer per hour. Make a public policy recommendation on whether or not woodchucks will be a threat to forests if allowed to do this for arbitrarily large periods of time.

Comments

  • ElectrodudeElectrodude Posts: 1,657
    In other words, how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

    If this is a homework problem, it's brilliant.
  • MIchael_MichalskiMIchael_Michalski Posts: 138
    I was bored at work
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,185
    MIchael_Michalski wrote: »
    I was bored at work

    Huh. I always thought that work is equal to the word "bored" when it is not interesting. Besides they are all union woodchucks who belong to one which was formed in response to the problems with woodchucks and government in New York and PA.
  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,451
    No fair, you need calculus to solve that problem.
  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    I like the much longer:

    How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood. He would chuck what wood a woodchuck would chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

    I've taught myself to saw this whole thing really fast.

    Bean
  • MIchael_MichalskiMIchael_Michalski Posts: 138
    localroger wrote: »
    No fair, you need calculus to solve that problem.

    Yup.
  • mharrison@srvcmharrison@srvc Posts: 13
    Question: "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

    Answer: "A Woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood."

    I learned this over 50 years ago as a young child.
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    MIchael_Michalski wrote: »
    localroger wrote: »
    No fair, you need calculus to solve that problem.

    Yup.

    Then definitely beyond the ken of almost every politician I have heard spouting off for the last year or more.
  • RS_JimRS_Jim Posts: 1,764
    rofl!
  • Mark_TMark_T Posts: 1,981
    I make it sqrt(2*alpha*t), where alpha is the constant of proportionality.
    the derivative is sqrt (alpha / (2 * t))
  • MIchael_MichalskiMIchael_Michalski Posts: 138
    Now the next half, Is it ok to let the woodchucks chuck wood for as long as a woodchuck can chuck wood?
  • frank freedmanfrank freedman Posts: 1,983
    MIchael_Michalski wrote: »
    Now the next half, Is it ok to let the woodchucks chuck wood for as long as a woodchuck can chuck wood?

    That would all depend on the contract with the woodchuck's wood chuck union.
  • MIchael_MichalskiMIchael_Michalski Posts: 138
    The woodchucks lumber transfer function is not dependent upon union activity or membership. It is only dependent upon t. (it was in fact correctly derived above as Λ(t)=sqrt(2αt)) This makes sense, as a woodchuck prevented from transferring lumber due to his or her union is not considered to be a woodchuck that is able to chuck wood whereas the lumber transfer function was derived under the assumption of woodchucks that could chuck wood. The lumber transfer function for woodchucks that cant chuck wood is trivial,being simply Λ(t)=0.
  • AwesomeCronkAwesomeCronk Posts: 1,055
    Bean wrote: »
    I like the much longer:

    How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood. He would chuck what wood a woodchuck would chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

    I've taught myself to saw this whole thing really fast.

    Bean
    Saw wood? Or say “woodchucks”?
  • AwesomeCronkAwesomeCronk Posts: 1,055
    I sent my mother a link to this discussion. She responded to say that we are all nerds with too much time on our hands!🤣
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