The Centrifuge Problem

[renji_chan]

Today we had a lab practical. I wanted to spin together with another group (save 10 minutes of waiting), so I asked if I could spin with that group. They had 4 people. We had 3. So altogether, that made 7 tubes. I rearranged the 7 tubes in the manner shown in the picture below (Green spots indicate position of tubes). Our centrifuge has 12 holes,

Comments

[_banana]

ooh this is amazing! I'll take note of it next time I encounter a situation like this.. usually i'm too lazy and just take an extra tube to balance.

[renji_chan]

Heehee this is amazing, right? I thought so too. :)

The trick here is to put the 3 tubes first (first fix the odd numbers), then put the 'even' numbers in. As long as both the first set and the second set balances individually, the union of the two sets should also balance.

[demiotaku]

OMG haha it sounds exactly like an evil trig question for Math exams >_> I guess math has its practical uses sometimes, after all. XD

[renji_chan]

Yes, it's practical! But no one would even believe me that this works! They just insisted that it doesn't work and stared at me like I was some idiot who didn't even know how to use a centrifuge.

I would have proven it to them mathematically just to see their faces... but they left, and I don't know who they are. -_-"

[x_name]

:O Did you tell your prof in the end?
But before you calculated you knew instinctively lol?

[liewqi]

OMG. GENIUS.

[feraferafera]

woaa.. what grade are you?
It's apart of my maths lesson too xD
Well, Good Luck!! xD