Extra Credit Project: How far can you walk without going outside?

Measure and describe as a vector the longest displacement on the RIT campus between points which are connected by buildings.

This project must be done by individuals.

There are lots and lots of buildings on the RIT campus. Some of them are connected to others by corridors, some by underground tunnels, and a few by elevated walkways. Your job is to find two points which

are very far from each other
can be traversed by a person who walks in an ordinary fashion on a rainy day without getting wet

In other words, the entire path from point A to point B must be inside buildings, tunnels, or permanently covered walkways.

Once you have found a long route, draw a map showing the route connecting the two points and its location on campus. You must measure the displacement between its two endpoints as accurately as you can. Describe this displacement as a vector, in a coordinate system in which

the x axis runs East
the y axis runs North
the z axis points upwards from the ground on campus

Submit a report which includes the map, your measurements, all your calculations, and the final result. The student(s) who find the path of greatest displacement will win public acclaim and a small prize.

This page maintained by Michael Richmond. Last modified Nov 29, 2005.