Hey Ray! Fitting A Round Coaster Through A Square Hole​

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- I have a new problem this week. I need to get a round coaster through a square hole without ripping the paper.

Here is the big issue with this problem.

The coaster is 4 inches in diameter, while the longest part of the square, the diagonal, is only 3 inches.

Let's look at what we have to work with a different way. Here is the piece of paper I cut out of the hole. This has the same 3-inch diagonal, so the coaster is obviously still bigger.

What we can do, though, is cut the square in half, and you will see that it creates an area that, if it were the hole in the paper, the coaster would pass through.

We are looking at this paper in only two dimensions. If we look at the paper in three dimensions, we could probably make that square hole into something big enough to pass our coaster through. How?

With creative folding, of course. If we fold the paper in half, the hole's diagonal is still only 3 inches.

If we carefully bend the paper outward, you will notice the length of where the diagonal was increases to four inches. That is big enough for the coaster to fit. You will also notice part of the paper lifts.

This is how we are creating a 3-dimensional solution.

At this point, make a fold on the outside of the paper where it lifts. The inside will do something similar. You can fold there, too.

Now, the coaster fits!