Faith, Hope, and Charity Light the Way

On the outer arm of Cape Cod, a series of lighthouses was built in 1838 to warn mariners of the dangers of running aground. One, consisting of three towers, was built in North Eastham as a triple light to differentiate it from the single light at Highland (Truro) and the double light at Chatham. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Mathematics teacher 2012-12, Vol.106 (5), p.334
Main Authors: Wilcock, Douglas, Haynes, Mary
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Lighthouses
Mathematical problems
Mathematics education
Measurement
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:On the outer arm of Cape Cod, a series of lighthouses was built in 1838 to warn mariners of the dangers of running aground. One, consisting of three towers, was built in North Eastham as a triple light to differentiate it from the single light at Highland (Truro) and the double light at Chatham. The three towers were called the Three Sisters because their white bases and black tops recalled ladies in white formal dress with black hats. By 1911, a change in technology allowed a triple signal from a single tower, and two of the "sisters" were moved from the coast to their present location in North Eastham. The National Park Service bought the third sister in 1983 and relocated it next to its sisters. Here, Wilcock and Haynes offer a mathematical solutions on how the Three Sisters were measured and built.
ISSN:0025-5769
2330-0582