Transcript Houdini’s Great Escape

Houdini’s Great Escape
Jordan Burnett
Calculus II Honors
Dr. Cruz-White
Harry Houdini

Born on April 6, 1874 in Appleton, Wisconsin.
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Began his magic career at the age of 17 in front of civic groups.
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Performed multiple tricks including “Metamorphosis” in which he and an
assistant would switch places after he was placed inside a crate.
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Was mostly recognized for his amazing ability to escape from numerous
restraints and apparatuses.
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Often said that he was able to withstand any blow to the stomach.
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Ironically, this led to his untimely death after he developed peritonitis from
three shots to the gut which caused his appendix to burst.
Something that you didn’t know
about Houdini:
 One of the Magician’s secrets is that
he used Calculus to perform his
tricks.

The Great Escape
Houdini performed a trick in which he was locked in chains
and shackled down to a stool attached to the bottom of
a giant tank. The tank was then filled with water.
Houdini would have to escape the restraints before the
water rose above his head and cause him to drown.
The Great Escape
Houdini knew that it would take him exactly ten minutes to
escape the chains. Being a showman, he wanted to wait
until the last second, when the water level had just risen
over the top of his head, to set himself free.
Standing at six feet tall and knowing the rate at which the
water filled up the tank, Houdini used calculus to find
out at what height the stool needed to stand.
Above is a diagram of the tank that the stunt was
performed in showing the diameter at one foot intervals.
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What you need to know:

1 gallon = 0.13368 cubic feet

1 ≤ y ≤ 13

The tank is filling up at 500
gallons per minute.

Formula for Volume about the
y-axis:

The tank is a shape formed by a
function revolving about the y
axis.

You must neglect the volume
of the Magician himself as
well as the volume of the
stool on which he stood.

R(y) = 10/(y)1/2
Applying Calculus
0.13368 cubic ft x 500 gallons x 10 minutes = 668.4 cubic ft = V
1 gallon
minute
V = пʃ1h 100/y dy => 100п ʃ1h 1/y dy => 100п ln(y)
688.4 cubic ft. = 100п ln(h)
2.13 = ln(h) => h = 8.39 = Height of water
Height of Water – Height of Houdini
8.39 ft – 6 ft = 2.39ft
Houdini’s stool would have to stand
2.39 inches tall!
References
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Appleton History
www.apl.org/histoy/houdini/biography.html
Wheaton College
<http://wheatoncollege.edu/Academic/academicdept/Math
CS/Faculty/tratliff/writing/calculus-II/escape.html>
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