Problem 8 (Barber Pole)

Consider a cylindrical barber pole 5 feet tall and 1 foot in circumference, like the one

in which a strip of paint in the shape of a helix is painted around the pole 4 times, the strip starting and ending on the same "cylindrical element" (a vertical line on the cylinder). What is the length of the strip of paint ?

This problem is very easy if you think about it in just the right way.

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Last modified on Tuesday, January 12, 1999