Block (sailing) line may slip past the sheave. This kind of block makes a loaded line easier to hold by hand, and is sometimes used on smaller boats for lines like main and jib sheets that are frequently adjusted. Block (sailing) In sailing, a block is a single or multiple pulley. One or a number of "sheaves" are enclosed in an assembly between "cheeks" or "chocks". In use, a block is fixed to the end of a line, to a spar, or to a surface. A line (rope) is "reeved" through the sheaves, and maybe through one or more matching blocks at
Ant on a rubber rope Ant on a rubber rope The ant on a rubber rope is a mathematical puzzle with a solution that appears counterintuitive or paradoxical. It is sometimes given as a worm, or inchworm, on a rubber or elastic band, but the principles of the puzzle remain the same. The details of the puzzle can vary, but a typical form is as follows: At first consideration it seems that the ant will never reach the end of the rope, but in fact it does. (In the form stated above, it would take 8.9 years.) Whatever the length of the rope and the