General Knowledge!

[BFM_Xtr3me]

im not sure on this,

(5*4*3*2*1)/(52*51*50*49*48)=

120/311875200=

1/2598960

[MrMxyzptlk]

im not sure on this,

(5*4*3*2*1)/(52*51*50*49*48)=

120/311875200=

1/2598960

'Looks right to me, although the method seems odd.  

5/52 * 4/51 * 3/50 * 2/49 * 1/48 = 1/2,598,960

seems like the way I'd write it out....

[Goalie]

hmm.  I don't want to think so deep into this, but I'm not sure if that's the right answer.  Taking 2 years of probability, I found that the answer isn't always so easy.

The first card can be any suit, A, K, Q, J, or 10.  The following cards' suit is determine by this first card's suit.  So I think it is

20/52 * 4/51 * 3/50 * 2/49 * 1/48 = 1/649740.

I'm not sure on this answer either.

[BFM_Fénix]

Almost Xtreme and Mxy...

Which is the probability of getting a royal flush if you pick up only 5 cards and considering your deck is complete (52)?

I never said any suit in particular, so your answer is lacking something.

hmm.  I don't want to think so deep into this, but I'm not sure if that's the right answer.  Taking 2 years of probability, I found that the answer isn't always so easy.

The first card can be any suit, A, K, Q, J, or 10.  The following cards' suit is determine by this first card's suit.  So I think it is

20/52 * 4/51 * 3/50 * 2/49 * 1/48 = 1/649740.

I'm not sure on this answer either.

Good job Goalie. Indeed, one way to see this problem is considering you have 4 suits available, and once you pick up one suit, the probability decreases drastically.

It is indeed 1/649740

Other ways to look at this is as follows...

1) Understanding the relationship between the mentioned two probabilities

Probability of getting royal flush of 1 suit (Ps Prob. suit)
Ps = 1/2598960

Probability of getting royal flush considering 4 suits (Pt Prob total)
Pt = 4Ps = 1/649740

2) Knowing how to use combination

Combination is the number of possibilities of taking n elements out of k elements, considering that order is not important and there is no substitution of elements, being k>0 and 0<=n<=k. It is noted as (consider both parenthesis joined as one)

( k )           k!
         =  ---------               I'll use kCn for notation
( n )       n!(k-n)!

Now, considering that there is no substitution when drawing the cards, and that order does not matter (Prs, Prh, Prc, Prd Prob Royal Flush of spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds)

          5C5
Pt = -------- * 4 = Prs+Prh+Prc+Prd
         52C5

So, the probability can be seen as the possibilities of drawing the 5 cards of the royal flush, divided by the possibilities of drawing any 5 cards out of the deck, times the number of suits available.

Your turn Goalie!!!

[BFM_Edison]

Pretty sure that answer is a subcategory of my answer... >.>

Obviously, as saying zebras present a color under visible ligth would be an even bigger category and it wouldn't answer accurately mxy's question... If he asked abaout dalmatians, your answer would still be a supercategory of answers, but lacking the purpose of giving an accurate answer, and be considered wrong under social conventions...

Except the question asked specifically for the color with no regards to the patterns involved.

Would have been simpler to answer the recent question just as 4 x 52C5 imo imo.

[BFM_Fénix]

Pretty sure that answer is a subcategory of my answer... >.>

Obviously, as saying zebras present a color under visible ligth would be an even bigger category and it wouldn't answer accurately mxy's question... If he asked abaout dalmatians, your answer would still be a supercategory of answers, but lacking the purpose of giving an accurate answer, and be considered wrong under social conventions...

Except the question asked specifically for the color with no regards to the patterns involved.

Would have been simpler to answer the recent question just as 4 x 52C5 imo imo.

I know, that's why I said "wrong under social convention", meaning even though I agree with the phrasing of your answer we should consider the context in which the question is being made. I considered Mxy was looking to fool us with that apparently simple question, that's all

BTW it's 4/52C5.

[BFM_Edison]

Same thing. Too tired to write stuff down after flying all day without sleep the night before.

[Goalie]

For those of you who have been keeping up with current events:

What does the Richter scale measure?  For example, if there was an earthquake of magnitude 6.0, what does that mean?

Extra Credit: What was the magnitude of the earthquake that recently hit Japan?

[jim360]

The Richter scale somewhat arbitrarily measure the strength of an earthquake, on a logarithmic scale. so and earthquake measuring 9 on the scale is at least ten times larger than an earthquake measuring 8, and maybe even more (i think it might be 50 times).

The scale measures strength relative to the amount of damage caused. I think an earthquake of magnitude 6 gives a powerful jolt and can damage buildings, but is not very severe overall. Earthquakes of magnitude 9 tend to open up cracks in the ground, total destruction of a large area of buildings, trees uprooted, bridges and gas pipes broken and so on.

I think the Japan earthquake might have been 8.9.

[Marty]

I think the Japan earthquake might have been 8.9.

It was said to be 8.9 in early press releases; it has since been 'upgraded' to 9.0.

[swant]

What 360 told was correct it being a logarithmic scale.

also the quake was in first stated as a 7.9 in Japan, then in US they calculated it was an 8.9 and now it is official a 9.0 making it equally powerful as the one in Chili almost exactly one year ago.  Furthermore the earth axle has actually shifted by 10CM due to the effects of the earthquake.

[BFM_Edison]

By the way, the values they report now aren't actually from the Richter scale, even though they say they are. The reason is because, as three60 said, the Richter scale depends on arbitrary things like amount of damage and whatnot. The values they report as being on the Richter scale don't measure that and are purely physical. The scale that's mainly used now, which is often similar in values, is the moment magnitude scale, though they pretty much never say that's the scale being used.

[Goalie]

I think I'll just give it to Three60.

It is based on the log₁₀ to my understanding, that a magnitude of 6.0 is 10 times greater than that of 5.0.  When Richter made the scale, he set 0.0 to be a horizontal displacement of 1 micrometer (which also means that there can be negative values, which are recorded daily and are easily dismissed).  Therefore if we follow that up the scale, a 6.0 magnitude would mean a horizontal displacement of 1m, meaning the ground would be shaking 1 meter side-to-side.  The numbers get fuzzy after 7.0, so Richter and his colleague adjusted the scale to accomodate for that.

I was looking for the horizontal displacement, but it appears I was very vague in my question.  Anyway, you're up Three60!

[jim360]

Wouldn't say it was you that was vague. By rights it is about horizontal displacement. However I thought the scale was in terms of the effects of the earthquake.

Anyway, my question:

What is the most powerful earthquake ever - when and where, and how strong?

I'll accept any two of the top three.

[MrMxyzptlk]

'Gotta be the (Theia) Giant Impact event!





(Oh wait, that was an impact, not technically an "earthquake," I don't think....)







 



*edit* Oops!  I forgot to include the additional info:

1) On the edge of the Yucatan Penninsula; 2) Before the existence of human beings;  3) Strength? Immeasurable, but REALLY, REALLY LARGE!