Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/239 - The Bell Rope/Solution

by : $239$

 * The Bell Rope

Solution

 * $32$ feet and $1 \tfrac 1 2$ inches.

Proof
Let $L$ inches be the length of the bell-rope.

Thus we have described a right triangle:
 * whose legs are $4 \times 12 = 48$ and $L - 3$ (as there are $12$ inches to the foot)
 * and whose hypotenuse is $L$.

Thus:

The result follows on converting $385 \tfrac 1 2$ inches to feet and inches.