How many different squares are located on a chess-board?

Suppose you have an enormous long rope. You place this rope on the soil along the equator, such that the rope forms a circle around the earth. After you have finished this big job, you increase the length of the rope by one meter. How far from the soil do yo have to attach the rope to make again a circle around the equator? Assume that the earth is a perfect sphere, without mountains etc.

Make 24 by using the following numbers only once: 1, 3, 4 and 6. You are allowed to add, subtract, multiply, divide and to use curly brackets. Do the same excercise with 3, 3, 7 and 7.