Balance a Stick on its End on a Finger
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Problem
How can a stick be made to balance securely on the tip of a finger?
Solution
Push the tips of $2$ knives into the side of the stick, near the tip, opposite each other, so that the handles of the knives hang down well below the finger.
The center of gravity of the arrangement will be below the fingertip and will be stable.
Historical Note
This puzzle is typical of those found in collections of Victorian amusements.
Sources
- 1633: Henry van Etten: Mathematicall Recreations (translated by William Oughtred from Récréations Mathématiques)
- 1992: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Puzzles ... (previous) ... (next): Henry van Etten: $113$