Recent content by rick1231

Interesting! I wonder if the pan being flared out (instead of being cylindrical) effects the shadow? I've driven around the Durango curve many times, but my observations were always pretty casual. Rick

So, what's the equation of the ellipse and where are the foci? The barrier is 3 feet high.

I believe so too, but how do we prove it? It must have something to do with the projection of the circular barrier onto the freeway. A special case would be when the sun is directly overhead. Then it would be the quadrant of a circle (special case of an ellipse). Other thoughts are: 1. It is a...

This is one I haven't worked out a solution for yet. It's probably not too hard. Hopefully someone can provide a clear explanation. http://rickmckeon.com/mathfun/puzzles/The%20Durango%20Curve%20Problem.pdf rick123