Four Colored Balls in Gym Class

Four different-colored balls are being used in a gym class activity – blue, red, yellow and orange. Each student must hold two different-colored balls, but no two students can have the same two colors (for example, only one student can hold the blue and red ball).

How many students can play the game?

Six. If you prefer math, you can calculate it as 4 combination 2

4! / (2!)^2
24 / 4 = 6

Or you can work it out manually:

1. Blue Red
2. Blue Yellow
3. Blue Orange
4. Red Yellow
5. Red Orange
6. Yellow Orange

Posted in Brain Teasers

Not the Sort That’s Eaten

I’m not the sort that’s eaten, I’m not the sort you bake,
Don’t put me in an oven, I don’t taste that great,
But when applied correctly, around me you will find,
Problems are so simple when my digits come to mind.

Pi (3.141592653)

Posted in Riddles

A Circular Island

A circular island with a diameter of 30 feet has a 30 foot tree stands at the center. A man cuts the tree down with his chainsaw, making the cut a foot up from the ground. The tree comes crashing down and hits the water but doesn’t splash. Why not?

It’s winter and the water is frozen.

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Bridge to Switzerland

During WWII, there was a bridge connecting Germany and Switzerland, and on the German side, there was a sentry tower with a guard in it. He would come out every three minutes to check on the bridge, and he had orders to turn back anyone who tried to get into Germany, and shoot anyone trying to escape without a pass. There was a woman who desperately needed to get into Switzerland, and she knew she didn’t have time to get a pass. It would take her at least six minutes to cross the bridge, but she managed to do it. How?

She walked on the bridge towards Switzerland for 3 minutes and just as the guard was about to come out, she turned around walking back to Germany. The guard saw her and asked for her pass but she didn’t have one and was sent back (or what the guard thought was back) to Switzerland. In her case it was the very country she wanted to go to.

Posted in Brain Teasers

I Cover What Is Real And Hide What Is True

I cover what is real and hide what is true,
But sometimes I bring out the courage in you.

What am I?

A mask. It makes people look different, but can make you feel more powerful than you normally do.

Makeup also works.

Posted in Riddles

Only Useful When Full

I am only useful when I’m full,
Yet I am always full of holes.

What am I?

A sieve, used for straining food like pasta.

Posted in Riddles

English and Afrikaans

What is a six-word sentence that has the same meaning and spelling in both English and Afrikaans?

My pen is in my hand. It’s not all that meaningful of a sentence, but it’s the same in English and Afrikaans.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Round Manhole Covers

Why are manhole covers round?

It allows them to be rolled around easily and prevents the cover from falling into the hole.

Posted in Brain Teasers

The Sheep’s Will

A farmer dies leaving a will dividing his flock of nineteen sheep with the following ratios:

Half to his oldest son, a quarter to the middle son and one fifth to his youngest son.

Without cutting any sheep up, how did the executor of the will fulfill the farmer’s wishes?

The executor went to the neighbouring farm and asked to borrow a sheep for a few minutes. Then he returned to the sons and said, “Half of the (now) twenty sheep is 10. A quarter of the twenty sheep is 5. A fifth of the twenty sheep is 4. 10 + 5 + 4 = 19. Then the executor took the borrowed 20th sheep back to the neighbour.

Thanks to Annette for sending this in.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Twice Is 99 More Than Half

What number satisfies this requirement? Twice the number is 99 more than half of the number.

66.

2 × 66 = 132 and 132 – 66 / 2 = 99.

Posted in Brain Teasers