[LennonCook]

Originally posted by Variol (Farseer) Elmwood: quote: Originally posted by Davros: So what you are saying Variol [img]smile.gif[/img] is that the answer is 6.283 metres (give or take a few extra decimal points). Is this what you mean?

I don't know what the diameter of the Earth is, I'd have to do a search, but that would be my guess. [/QUOTE]You'll find that you don't need it. If we let the earth's diameter be d, the circumpherence of the earth, and hence the original length, is:
C[1] = (pi)d
To get the rope 1 meter above the ground, we add 1 to the diamater on both sides of the circle - which, as you said, adds 2 to the diameter. So this diameter is (d + 2), making the new circumpherence, and so the new length of the rope:
C[2] = (d + 2)pi
Making the difference in length:
C[2] - C[1] = (d + 2)pi - (pi)d = 2pi
Which is independant of the diameter.

EDIT: Obscure typos.

[ 11-17-2004, 04:43 PM: Message edited by: LennonCook ]