Question #294

Shown in the photograph below is a Moebius strip. A Moebius strip is created by taking a long strip of paper, giving it a a single twist, and connecting the two ends. The paper from which the strip is mads is yellow on one side, so at the point where the ends of the strip are joined you can see the change from yellow to white. Click your mouse on the photograph to see the strip being cut down its center line.

Woops! The video stopped before the Moebius strip cut is complete, because the question this week is what will happen when the cut is complete.

When the cut is complete:

• (a) we will have a single long Moebius strip.
• (b) we will have a loop of paper without a twist.
• (c) we will have a Moebius strip with an extra twist.
• (d) we will have two separate Moebius strips.
• (e) we will have two connected Moebius strips.
• (f) You can't do that; something else very peculiar will happen.

Click here for Answer #294 after October 28, 2007.

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