Support a Bucket over Edge of Table using Staff
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Problem
You have a strong staff, and a bucket almost full of water.
Required to support the bucket over the edge of a table.
Solution
![]() | This page needs the help of a knowledgeable authority. In particular: The solution given by David Wells in his Curious and Interesting Puzzles is in the form of a diagram, but it does not seem to make sense. Besides, he appears to be using $2$ sticks, not just one staff. Maybe the word "staff" has changed its meaning since Victorian times. If you are knowledgeable in this area, then you can help $\mathsf{Pr} \infty \mathsf{fWiki}$ by resolving the issues. To discuss this page in more detail, feel free to use the talk page. When this work has been completed, you may remove this instance of {{Help}} from the code.If you would welcome a second opinion as to whether your work is correct, add a call to {{Proofread}} the page. |
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: $114$