Impossible. Illusion of confusion?

alexmay · 2005-06-29, 03:21 PM

How can this be true?
When re-arranged there is a square missing, spooky.

arcane · 2005-06-29, 04:37 PM

I don't get it

This is creepy, If any one is good at geometry PLEASE explain this.

GILD · 2005-06-29, 04:43 PM

there is a rational explanation for that but for the life of me...

James_Potter · 2005-06-29, 05:13 PM

III know the secret

no, just kidding, I don't. I've seen that picture before, tried to figure it out, but now I've just accepted that it's magic.

arcane · 2005-06-29, 05:16 PM

I'm going to print this off and show it to some of my friends. I can just see the look on their faces...

unicycle6869 · 2005-06-29, 05:46 PM

That's a good one! Can anyone explain what's going on here??

yoopers · 2005-06-29, 05:56 PM

http://www.grand-illusions.com/triangle1.htm

unicycle6869 · 2005-06-29, 06:20 PM

Thanks for the answer! My mind was about to explode. I actually printed it out and cut out all shapes and still couldn't figure it out. It sure is a tricky little thing isn't it..

forrestunifreak · 2005-06-29, 06:29 PM

I dont get whats so tricky.....the little L shapes are just uneven, thats all.

unicycle6869 · 2005-06-29, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by forrestunifreak
I dont get whats so tricky.....the little L shapes are just uneven, thats all.

What do you mean by uneven? They are the same shape and size?

James_Potter · 2005-06-29, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by forrestunifreak
I dont get whats so tricky.....the little L shapes are just uneven, thats all.

look at how much space (how many squares) the top triangle takes up. then compare it to the bottom one. they take up exactly the same area, except for one square is missing.

arcane · 2005-06-29, 06:47 PM

My head feels better now.
Thanks for the explanation.

kington99 · 2005-06-29, 07:28 PM

The simplest explanation i can see is this, the hypotenuse of the overall triangle is not a straight line i.e the hypoteneuse of the two triangle pieces are not parallel. The simplest to notice manifestation of this is: look at the left hand point of the overall shape, count five squares to the right, go up till you hit the hypotenuse of the overall shape, on one figure this point is exactly at an intersection of the grid, on the other it's very slightly below i.e. they have the same area but are not the same shape. If you had these pieces CNC machined in steel to a large scale the gaps and differences would be quite noticeable, but in paper they're eaten up by inaccuracies in cutting out etc.

Klaas Bil · 2005-06-29, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kington99
The simplest explanation i can see is this, the hypotenuse of the overall triangle is not a straight line i.e the hypoteneuse of the two triangle pieces are not parallel.

That's right, one triangle's sharp angle has a 'tangent' of 2/5 = 0.40, the other has 3/8 = 0.375. BTW, this thing has been posted before in JC.

Klaas Bil

leo · 2005-06-30, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by unicycle6869
Thanks for the answer! My mind was about to explode. I actually printed it out and cut out all shapes and still couldn't figure it out. It sure is a tricky little thing isn't it..

LOL, when I saw this thing years ago, I had the same drive to solute it. Untill I was using a CAD-like drawing program (and found out what was going on), it drove me crazy!

2005-06-29, 03:21 PM	#1
alexmay think... Join Date: May 2005 Location: E2, London UK Age: 25 Posts: 328	Impossible. Illusion of confusion? How can this be true? When re-arranged there is a square missing, spooky.

2005-06-29, 04:37 PM	#2
arcane Jabbering Jibberish? Join Date: May 2005 Location: small town in Arkansas Posts: 384	I don't get it This is creepy, If any one is good at geometry PLEASE explain this. __________________ Why do people read sigs anyway?

2005-06-29, 04:43 PM	#3
GILD Waffle-Tosser, Time-bider and JCTK Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: the bustling metropolis of Nelspruitia, south africa Age: 45 Posts: 15,569	there is a rational explanation for that but for the life of me... __________________ Three short Gs and a long E-flat™ - UniHoki If I'm Murdered, Don't Execute My Killer. harper MikeFule Seager BluntRM NAMASTE! Dave

2005-06-29, 05:16 PM	#5
arcane Jabbering Jibberish? Join Date: May 2005 Location: small town in Arkansas Posts: 384	I'm going to print this off and show it to some of my friends. I can just see the look on their faces... __________________ Why do people read sigs anyway?

2005-06-29, 05:46 PM	#6
unicycle6869 Level 10 Rider! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sydney, Australia Age: 33 Posts: 1,607	That's a good one! Can anyone explain what's going on here?? __________________ http://www.uniproshow.com 24x3 Instense Tires ON SALE Here!!! www.uniproshop.com

2005-06-29, 05:13 PM	#4
James_Potter Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The skinny part of Idaho Age: 24 Posts: 10,606	III know the secret no, just kidding, I don't. I've seen that picture before, tried to figure it out, but now I've just accepted that it's magic.

2005-06-29, 05:56 PM	#7
yoopers Registered User Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Waldorf, MD Age: 52 Posts: 6,683	http://www.grand-illusions.com/triangle1.htm __________________ `_______ /l ,[____], l---L –0lllllll0- ()_) ()_)----)_) Munipsycho on the art of raising children: "My job is not to keep them from falling. It's to teach them to always get back up." Always give lots of credit and take very little. Seems to make everyone happier. Conversely, take as much responsibility for mistakes as one can assume! - Dr. Bobo unicycledude93: Steve Dekeokeok unicycledude93: Yoopers Byrnetown: haha, those are old guys

2005-06-29, 06:20 PM	#8
unicycle6869 Level 10 Rider! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sydney, Australia Age: 33 Posts: 1,607	Thanks for the answer! My mind was about to explode. I actually printed it out and cut out all shapes and still couldn't figure it out. It sure is a tricky little thing isn't it.. __________________ http://www.uniproshow.com 24x3 Instense Tires ON SALE Here!!! www.uniproshop.com

2005-06-29, 06:29 PM	#9
forrestunifreak is in college. and on magazines. Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Montana, USA Age: 23 Posts: 8,071	I dont get whats so tricky.....the little L shapes are just uneven, thats all. __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

2005-06-29, 06:47 PM	#12
arcane Jabbering Jibberish? Join Date: May 2005 Location: small town in Arkansas Posts: 384	My head feels better now. Thanks for the explanation. __________________ Why do people read sigs anyway?

2005-06-29, 07:28 PM	#13
kington99 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Warwickshire, UK Age: 27 Posts: 4,786	The simplest explanation i can see is this, the hypotenuse of the overall triangle is not a straight line i.e the hypoteneuse of the two triangle pieces are not parallel. The simplest to notice manifestation of this is: look at the left hand point of the overall shape, count five squares to the right, go up till you hit the hypotenuse of the overall shape, on one figure this point is exactly at an intersection of the grid, on the other it's very slightly below i.e. they have the same area but are not the same shape. If you had these pieces CNC machined in steel to a large scale the gaps and differences would be quite noticeable, but in paper they're eaten up by inaccuracies in cutting out etc. __________________ Dave - what a thoroughly post-modern subversion of the cycling genre -

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