Alter By a Single Stroke

How can you alter the following equation by a single stroke to make it correct?

5 + 5 + 5 = 550

5 4 5 + 5 = 550

Add a diagonal line on the top left of the first plus sign to convert + into a 4. You could also put a slash through the equal sign to make ≠ (not equal) but that’s not as cool.

Posted in Brain Teasers

How Are These Countries Ordered?

How are these countries ordered?

1. Canada
2. Indonesia
3. Russia
4. Philippines
5. Japan
6. Australia
7. Norway
8. United States
9. New Zealand
10. China

By kilometers of coastline (according to the CIA World Factbook).

1. Canada – 202,080 km / 125,567 mi
2. Indonesia – 54,716 km / 33,998 mi
3. Russia – 37,653 km / 23,396 mi
4. Philippines – 36,289 km / 22548 mi
5. Japan – 29,751 km / 18,486 mi
6. Australia – 25,760 km / 16,006 mi
7. Norway – 25,148 km / 15,626 mi
8. United States – 19,924 km / 12,380 mi
9. New Zealand – 15,134 km / 9403 mi
10. China – 14,500 km / 9009 mi

Note: Greenland has 44,087 km of coastline but it is not yet a fully independent country.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Train From Chicago to LA

An electric train is traveling on a 2000-mile journey from Chicago, IL to Los Angeles, CA. It has 16 cars with a total of 320 passengers. The weather is cloudy and cool, with a warm front approaching from the south. Which direction will the steam blow?

There is no steam. It’s an electric train.

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I Have Hundreds of Legs

I have hundreds of legs but I can only lean,
You make me feel dirty so you can feel clean.

What am I?

A broom.

Posted in Riddles
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Take Off My Clothes, Puts Its On

When I take off my clothes, it puts on its clothes.
When I put on my clothes, it takes off its clothes.

A clothes hanger.

Posted in Riddles

Sweet in the Sun

When young, I am sweet in the sun.
When middle-aged, I make you gay.
When old, I am valued more than ever.

Wine

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

Fewest Queens For Full Attack

What is the smallest number of queens required on a chess board to attack all squares?

5. To see where they need to be placed, check out the diagram on Wolfram’s Queens Problem page.

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Finley’s Flaky Friends

Finley’s friends all chipped in to buy her a wedding gift. At first, ten friends agreed to contribute the same amount. Then two “friends” dropped out. The remaining eight had to add another dollar each to cover the cost of the gift. How much did the gift cost?

$40.

Let x be the amount the ten friends initially agreed to pay. We can then make the following equation:

10x = 8x + 8

Solving for x gives us $4, thus the gift cost 10 × $4, or $40.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Working With Something In Its Eye

What always works with something in its eye?

A needle. Thread goes in the eye of the needle when you sew. If you sew…

Posted in Riddles