# Math Help - Question 10

1. ## Question 10

ImPerfectHacker has requested that I post this problem - allegedly because
he does not understand it. It does not look too difficult to me, though a bit
fiddly.

RonL

One day it started snowing at a heavy and steady rate. A snowplough
started out at noon, going 2 km the first hour and 1 km the second hour.
What time did it start snowing?

.

2. Originally Posted by CaptainBlack
One day it started snowing at a heavy and steady rate. A snowplough
started out at noon, going 2 km the first hour and 1 km the second hour.
What time did it start snowing?

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What does word "snowplough" means?

3. Originally Posted by OReilly
What does word "snowplough" means?
It's English for Snowplow

RonL

4. Originally Posted by CaptainBlack
It's English for Snowplow

RonL
Same question. What does "snowplow" means?

5. Originally Posted by OReilly
Same question. What does "snowplow" means?
Hello,

where do you live?

But nevertheless have a look here: Snowploughs

EB

6. Originally Posted by earboth
Hello,

where do you live?

But nevertheless have a look here: Snowploughs

EB
A better reference if you can find it is the Mr Plow episode of the Simpsons.

RonL

7. Originally Posted by OReilly
What does word "snowplough" means?

I presume you know what snow is.

A snowplough is a vehicle used for clearing snow from railways or roads
using something vaguely like a bulldozer blade.

I would upload a picture, but there seems to be something wrong with
the upload system at present, so lets try this

RonL

8. Originally Posted by CaptainBlack
ImPerfectHacker has requested that I post this problem - allegedly because
he does not understand it. It does not look too difficult to me, though a bit
fiddly.

RonL

One day it started snowing at a heavy and steady rate. A snowplough
started out at noon, going 2 km the first hour and 1 km the second hour.
What time did it start snowing?

.
You will need to make a number of assumptions in order to develop a solution of this problem. The most important is that the plough can clear a fixed volume of snow per unit time.

The other assumptions are fairly standard and I will leave those to the solvers.

RonL

9. The correct answer (or what I believe to be it) is in the attached pdf file. I hope it's there, I've never uploaded one of these before.

10. Originally Posted by BubbleBrain_103
The correct answer (or what I believe to be it) is in the attached pdf file. I hope it's there, I've never uploaded one of these before.
As I said not difficult just a bit fiddly

RonL

11. Originally Posted by CaptainBlack
As I said not difficult just a bit fiddly

RonL
Bizzare. Looking at the problem there doesn't seem to be nearly enough information to solve it.

-Dan

12. Originally Posted by topsquark
Bizzare. Looking at the problem there doesn't seem to be nearly enough information to solve it.

-Dan
Ahh.. but there is my dear squark there is..

On a serious note I make it three unknowns (sweep rate, snow accumulation rate, and time at which snow started)
and three equations, swept path at noon, ay 13:00, and at 14:00. That does not guarantee that a solution can be
found it should at least give hope that it can be found.

RonL

13. What supprises me is that non of you guys heard this problem. I definetly knew CaptainBlank has heard of it (for some reason), and would bet on Soroban.

14. I have heard of it. I tackled it years ago in DE.

What's interesting is that the answer is related to the golden ratio.

$$\frac{\sqrt{5}-1}{2}$$

This equals about 37 minutes. When subtracted from 12 noon, one gets

11:23 am.

I can't seem to get LaTex to work for some reason. I just get a blank screen when I try to preview.

15. Originally Posted by galactus
I can't seem to get LaTex to work for some reason. I just get a blank screen when I try to preview.

MathGuru says he's working on the problem.

-Dan

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