Knot so simple
Question: When a thin strip of paper with parallel edges is tied in a simple
knot, the knot appears to be a perfect pentagon. What is going on?
Answer: When a simple knot is tied in a piece of paper and the paper is then
flattened, there will always be a minimum of three creases. When the knot is as
tight as possible, but still flattened, these creases, and the ends of the paper
leaving the knot, will be touching. Because the width of the paper is constant,
the sides are all equal in length. The result…
