square roots

what's the msot ingenious method of finding square roots that you have come accross?

if you take a pendulum and measure the time for x swings, then half the length and measure the time for x swings, then divide the first time by the second - you have 3^(1/2) ! (that's an exclamation mark, not a factorial by the way...)

to find root 3, third the length, root 4 quater it etc...! although it only works accuratly without dampening i think...anwyay, anyone got any more random ways?...

Originally posted by genius
what's the msot ingenious method of finding square roots that you have come accross?

if you take a pendulum and measure the time for x swings, then half the length and measure the time for x swings, then divide the first time by the seco ...[text shortened]... ut dampening i think...anwyay, anyone got any more random ways?...

Originally posted by genius
- you have 3^(1/2)

Originally posted by THUDandBLUNDER
Typo alert!

Do we need a pendulum (whose accuracy depends on theta)?

Drop an apple from a tree.
Drop it again from a another tree twice as big/small.
Divide one time by the other.
(Of course, wind resistance will be a factor.)

you could just look at the formula for the time period of a pendulum and you'd know that anyway. the best way of finding square roots is using matrices.

well-yeah-that's where i got it from...😛

Originally posted by valdez
you could just look at the formula for the time period of a pendulum and you'd know that anyway. the best way of finding square roots is using matrices.

Originally posted by THUDandBLUNDER
Typo alert!

Do we need a pendulum (whose accuracy depends on theta)?

Drop an apple from a tree.
Drop it again from another tree twice as big/small.
Divide one time by the other.
(Of course, wind resistance will be a factor.)