more on Interesting Problem?] Crossing Several Time Zones on New Years

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Dave Bachmann <bachmann () us ibm com>
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 14:09:56 -0600
To: <dave () farber net>
Subject: Re: [IP] Interesting Problem?] Crossing Several Time Zones on New
Years

Hi Dave,

As my family has always enjoyed interesting problems I shared this one
with them.  We each took a different approach but came up with about the
same answer.  My father's solution has the best explanation and I include
it here:

Greenwich, England with a longitude of 0 degrees is the reference for time
with each 15 degrees of longitude being equivalent to 1 hour.  New York in
the
Eastern Time zone is 5 hours slower than Greenwich, so that at 6 pm in New
York
it is 11 pm at Greenwich (solar time).  It would be midnight 15 degrees to
the east of Greenwich when it is 6 pm in New York.  In another sense New
York is
(74 + 15) 89 degrees from midnight at the start of the trip.

The difference between the longitudes of New York (74 W) and Zurich (8.5
E)
is 82.5 degrees.  With a flight time of 7.75 hours the average speed is
10.65
degrees per hour.  (This ignores the fact that the distance between degree
lines will change a little as the latitude changes.)  While the plane is
flying
east at 10.65 degrees per hour, the earth is rotating at 15 degrees per
hour, so
in effect the plane is approaching midnight at (10.65 + 15) 25.65 degrees
per
hour.  The plane will meet up with midnight in (89/25.65) 3 hours and 28
minutes or 9:28 pm New York time.

dave



David Farber <dave () farber net>
Sent by: owner-ip () v2 listbox com
12/27/2004 06:26 PM
Please respond to
dave


To
Ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
cc

Subject
[IP] Interesting Problem?] Crossing Several Time Zones on New Years







------ Forwarded Message
From: forest m <forestmars () gmail com>
Reply-To: forest m <forestmars () gmail com>
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 19:16:12 -0500
To: <dave () farber net>
Subject: [Interesting Problem?] Crossing Several Time Zones on New Years

Hi Dave,

Thanks for you your excellent and valuable Interesting People list;
the topics broached echo many concernsto which I find myself giving
great attention. A problem that is on my mind at the moment however
may not be political enough to be appropriate for that forum, but I
would like to bring it to your attention in the hopes of confirming my
thoughts.

Briefly, a good friend is departing New York City at 6:00 PM local
time on New Years Eve and crossing 6 time zones en route to Zurich on
a flight lasting 7 hours and 45 minutes, thus arriving in Zurich at
7:45 AM local time on the morning of January 1st. She has asked me
what time it will be *exactly* midnight on her flight so she can
celebrate.

If you have any idea on the best forum in which such a thought
problem will be well recieved, or if you think it would be
*interesting* to post on IP, I would be greatly appreciative if you
would please let me know.

Thanks again for your great e-list and your kind attention,

Forest Mars
New York City

------ End of Forwarded Message


-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as bachmann () us ibm com
To manage your subscription, go to
http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: 
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/


------ End of Forwarded Message


-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com
To manage your subscription, go to
  http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/