Four Weights To Thirty

What four weights can be used to balance from one to thirty pounds?

A = 1
B = 3
C = 9
D = 17

1 lb = A
2 lbs + A = B
3 lbs = B
4 lbs = A + B
5 lbs + A + B = C
6 lbs + B = C
7 lbs + B = A + C
8 lbs + A = C
9 lbs = C
10 lbs = A + C
11 lbs + A = B + C
12 lbs = B + C
13 lbs = A + B + C
14 lbs + B = D
15 lbs + B = A + D
16 lbs + A = D
17 lbs = D
18 lbs = A + D
19 lbs + A = B + D
20 lbs = B + D
21 lbs = A + B + D
22 lbs + A + B = C + D
23 lbs + B = C + D
24 lbs + B = A + C + D
25 lbs + A = C + D
26 lbs = C + D
27 lbs = A + C + D
28 lbs + A = B + C + D
29 lbs = B + C + D
30 lbs = A + B + C + D

Posted in Brain Teasers

True, False or Confused?

Which of the following statements are true and which are false?

1. Only one of the statements is false.
2. Exactly two of the statements are false.
3. Only three of the statements are false.
4. Exactly four of the statements are false.
5. All five of these statements are false.

The only true statement is #4 and the rest are false.

Posted in Brain Teasers

I Look Like What I Represent

I am one of very few, perhaps the only one, to look like what I represent. What am I?

The word ‘bed’, which looks like an actual bed. The ‘b’ is the headboard, the ‘e’ is the mattress and the ‘d’ is the foot board.

If you know of another word that looks like the object it represents, add it in the comments.

Posted in Riddles

Life Is Funny

“Life’s funny”, said an old friend when I bumped into him the other day.
“Listen to this, I was born in March, yet I celebrate my birthday in August, and last February I married my mother”.

How is this possible?

He was born in the month of August in a town named March, became a priest and married his widowed mother to her second husband in February (the month).

Posted in Brain Teasers

To Frighten a Thief

What four letters frighten a thief?

OICU (Oh I see you!)

Posted in Riddles

Two Identical Women

Two women apply for a job. They are identical and have the same mother, father and birthday. The interviewer asks, “Are you twins?” to which they honestly reply, “No”.

How is this possible?

They are triplets.

Posted in Brain Teasers

On My Own I’m Twenty-Fourth

On my own I’m 24th,
Two of us and I’m 20,
Three of us and I’m 18.

What am I?

The letter X. It is the 24th letter of the alphabet, two Xs in Roman numerals equals twenty and triple x represents adult content, and adulthood is eighteen by law in most countries.

Posted in Riddles

He And She Both Have One Each

He and she both have one each, but every person has two. A citizen has three and a human being has four. A personality has five and an inhabitant of earth has six. What are they?

Syllables.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Highest Product Using All Digits

What is the highest product that can be generated by multiplying two numbers while only using each digit once (1 through 9)?
For example, 12345678 * 9 = 111,111,102

9642 * 87531 = 843,973,902

Posted in Brain Teasers

Howard’s Football Game

In 2014, Howard returned from his football game later than normal and Trudy, his Mom, was concerned. She asked what position he played, and he said he was a lineman. She asked what team they played and he said the Bears. She asked if anything strange had happened, and he said no. She asked what the score was and he said their team won, 14-1. Satisfied, Trudy sent Howard up to bed. The next morning Trudy told her husband Mick about her conversation with Howard. Mick’s face turned red and he stormed up to Howard’s room.

Why was Mick mad?

Mick knew Howard was lying about being at the football game because in American football it’s impossible to score just 1 point (before the 2015 one-point safety rule). A score of 2 is the lowest possible score (awarded for a safety). In fact, 1 is the only impossible score in football. You can score 2 points for a safety, 3 points for a field goal and 6 points for a touchdown, with an extra point for the field goal. You also have the option to go for another touchdown for a 2-point conversion. With 2, 3, 6 and 7 you can generate any other number except for 1.

For example, here are ways a team could score from 2 to 10 points.
2 = safety
3 = field goal
4 = 2 + 2
5 = 3 + 2
6 = touchdown
7 = touchdown and extra point attempt
8 = touchdown and two point conversion
9 = touchdown and field goal
10 = touchdown, extra point attempt and field goal

Posted in Brain Teasers