Abraham Encoding

The name ABRAHAM can be changed into a word for a primitive musical instrument by replacing each letter with a different letter. The repeated letters (A is this case) must be replaced with the same replacement letter in the new word.

What is the musical instrument?

PANPIPE

Posted in Brain Teasers

What is the Five Digit Number?

What 5-digit number satisfies the following requirements?

1. No zeroes
2. First two digits are the same
3. Fourth digit is twice the first
4. Last digit is twice the third
5. Sum of all digits is 18

33264.

There are several ways of solving this. One way is to represent each spot with a letter, A – E.

Then you have these equations:

A = B
D = 2 * A
E = 2 * C
A + B + C + D + E = 18

By simplifying, you get:

4 * A + 3 * C = 18

Plug in values for A and C to find that A = 3 C = 2.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Seven Porky Pigs

How can you put 21 pigs in 4 pigpens and still have an odd number of pigs in each pen?

Put seven pigs in the first three pens and arrange the fourth pen to contain the other three pens.

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Broken Before Use

I am broken before you use me,
I brighten your day until I die.

What am I?

Glow sticks that you have to break to start glowing, then they fade out (die).

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I Hide In A Dark Tunnel

I hide in a dark tunnel awaiting my time.
I can only be released by pulling back.
Once released, I may do unspeakable damage.

A bullet.

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Remote Cooking

You are a cook in a remote area with no clocks or other way of keeping time other than a four-minute and a seven-minute hourglass. On the stove is a pot of boiling water. Jill asks you to cook a nine-minute egg in exactly 9 minutes, and you know she is a perfectionist and can tell if you under cook or overcook the egg by even a few seconds. How can you cook the egg for exactly 9 minutes?

1. Flip both hourglasses over and drop the egg into the water.
2. When the 4-minute timer runs out, flip it over (4 minutes elapsed, 3 remaining on the 7-minute timer).
3. When the 7-minute timer runs out, flip it over. (7 minutes elapsed, 1 remaining in the 4-minute timer)
4. When the 4-minute timer runs out, flip the 7-minute timer over. (8 minutes elapsed. 6 minutes remained in the 7-minute timer, but flipping it over leaves one minute’s worth of sand on top. When it runs out exactly nine minutes will have elapsed.)

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Final Screech

I saw a strange creature,
Long, hard, and straight,
Thrusting in a round, dark, opening,
Preparing to discharge its load of lives,
Puffing and squealing noises accompanied it,
Then a final screech as it slowed and stopped.

Note: This may not be appropriate for younger ages.

A subway train.

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I Turn Around Once

I turn around once,
What is out will not get in.
I turn around again.
What is in will not get out.

What am I?

A key.

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Augustus’ Candy

Augustus loves candy and much to his delight, his three favorites are on sale. One each of gum, chocolate and caramel cost 40 cents. A caramel is over three times the price of gum. Six gums are worth more than chocolate. A caramel plus two gums cost less than chocolate. What is the price of each candy?

Gum = 4 cents
Chocolate = 23 cents
Caramel = 13 cents

Posted in Brain Teasers

Four Legs and a Foot

What has four legs and a foot, but can’t walk
And a head but can’t talk?

A bed. The foot of the bed can’t walk and the head of the bed can’t talk. It’s probably a good thing that beds can’t walk and talk. Just think of where they’d go and what they’d say…

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