How many poles and lines would be needed to create a zipline around the world?

[steadierfooting]

I was trying to figure this out on my own, probably more a trig question then math though. It''s been a few years since I've taken a physics class so forgive me if I'm misusing terminology.

Let's assume I wanted to create a zipline that would take me around the world. You couldn't jus use a x degree angle and use the circumference of the Earth and have one large pole to reach the sky. I'm guessing there would be multiple exsecent lines (poles) where the next pole would be set up where the tangent line reaches the circle (globe). That tangent line probably approaches infinity so I'm looking for approximations, but.

How many 'zip lines' would there need to be disregarding safety, and how long would the total 'lines' be if we were to create a zipline to go around the world?

Thanks for any advice in helping me solve this problem!

 

[steadierfooting]

errr hypothetical not theoretical

 

[charng]

I would approach this problem by first breaking it down into smaller, more manageable parts. So, let's start with some basic assumptions and calculations.

Firstly, we can assume that the Earth is a perfect sphere with a circumference of approximately 40,075 km (based on the equatorial circumference). We can also assume that the zipline will be at a constant altitude, so we don't need to factor in any changes in elevation.

Next, we need to determine the angle at which the zipline will be positioned. This will depend on the distance between each pole and the curvature of the Earth. We can use basic trigonometry to calculate this angle. For example, if we want the zipline to be 1 km away from the surface of the Earth at all times, the angle would be approximately 0.000015 degrees.

Now, let's consider the distance between each pole. Again, using basic trigonometry, we can calculate the distance between each pole based on the angle and the circumference of the Earth. For our example, the distance between each pole would be approximately 1.5 km.

Based on these calculations, we can estimate that there would be around 26,716 poles needed to create a zipline around the world. This would also mean that the total length of all the lines would be approximately 40,074,000 km (assuming each line is 1.5 km long).

However, it's important to note that this is a very simplified calculation and does not take into account factors such as safety, topography, and potential obstacles. It's also worth considering that the zipline would need to be constantly maintained and replaced, as well as the fact that it would be impossible for a zipline to stretch across oceans.

Overall, while it may be an interesting concept to consider, it's not a practical or feasible idea to create a zipline that goes around the entire world. But hopefully, this breakdown helps to answer your question and provides some insight into the calculations involved.