"PSU is 800 U" and More "Smartiness"

Prelims of some events start today at the NCAA Championships in Hayward Field in Oregon.  PSU's Casimir Loxsom and Ryan Foster lace them up in the 800 M, among others.  Good luck all!

When asked  ‘Describe how to determine the height of a skyscraper with a barometer.’ on a college Physics exam, one student answered "tie a long string to the barometer,then lower it to the ground.  The height of the building is the length of the rope plus the length of the barometer."

This answer garnered a failing grade, but the student appealed and was awarded 6 minutes to defend his answer in front of a panel of professors, seeing as the answer showed no particular grasp of any physics knowledge.  The student showed and sat for 5 minutes in front of the panel, saying nothing and looking at his watch.  After 5 minutes, he stood up and said:

‘OK, drop it from the roof and measure the time it takes to hit the ground. The height of the building can then be worked out from the formula H = 0.5g x t squared.

‘Or, if the sun is out, measure the height of the barometer and the length of its shadow, then work out the height of the building from the length of the skyscraper's shadow.

‘You could also tie a string to the barometer and swing it like a pendulum, first at ground level and then on the roof. The height is worked out by the difference in the gravitational restoring force T =2 pi sqr root (l /g).

‘However, if you lacked imagination, you could, of course, use the barometer to measure the air pressure on the roof and on the ground, and convert the difference in millibars into feet to give the height of the building.’

The student was Neils Bohr, Nobel Physicist.  Never underestimate the intelligence of those you encounter.