Riddles and Brain Teasers

Sum of 22

Fill in numbers such that the sum of each 3-character row is 22 while the sum of all five numbers is 30.

a
b	c	d
e

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The problem works out to a set of three equations:
b + c + d = 22
a + c + e = 22
a + b + c + d + e = 30Solving for c = 14, leaving d = 8 – b and e = 8 – a. In other words, c must be 14, but the other two numbers just have to add up to 8. The requirement that they be unique rules out 4 + 4, so you’re left to choose from the following combations for b + d and a + e:
0 + 8
1 + 7
2 + 6
3 + 5

The problem works out to a set of three equations:
b + c + d = 22
a + c + e = 22
a + b + c + d + e = 30

Solving for c = 14, leaving d = 8 – b and e = 8 – a. In other words, c must be 14, but the other two numbers just have to add up to 8. The requirement that they be unique rules out 4 + 4, so you’re left to choose from the following combations for b + d and a + e:
0 + 8
1 + 7
2 + 6
3 + 5

Posted in Brain Teasers

Many and One

They are many and one,
They wave and they drum,
Used to cover a stare,
They go with you everywhere.

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Your hands.

Posted in Riddles

Six One Seven and Nine to Make Twenty Four

How can the numbers 6, 1, 7 and 9 be arranged to make 24?

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91 – 67 = 24
(9 – 6) × (1 + 7) = 3 × 8 = 24

Posted in Brain Teasers

Hello Father

A women and daughter walked into a restaurant. A man walked past and the women both said, “Hello, Father”. How is this possible?

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The man was a priest.

Posted in Brain Teasers

I’ll Always Smile Back

If you drop me I’m sure to crack but give me a smile and I’ll always smile back

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A mirror.

Posted in Riddles

Guide and Scraping Along

Guided, I am scraping along,
leaving behind my snow white dust
against that which I am scraping,
for when I am scraping, I must.

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Chalk

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles

Six Apples

A mother of three children had six apples. She gave two to each and yet 4 remained. How was this possible?

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She gave the same 2 apples to each child in succession.

Posted in Brain Teasers

How to Stay Dry?

A group of ten people are going out for pizza but only two of them have an umbrella to keep them dry. Somehow they are able to walk all the way to the pizza place without getting wet. How?

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It’s not raining.

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Slight Inclination of the Cranium

A slight inclination of the cranium is as adequate as a spasmodic movement of one optic to an equine quadruped utterly devoid of any visionary capacity.

Translate this rather strange sentence into one that is more sensible.

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A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Horse Fence

Farmer Finnegan needs to build a fence to keep his horses on his property. He only has a little over 1.5 miles of fence materials, but there’s also a mile-long straight river running through his property. What shape should he use for the fenced in area to give his horses the most space possible?

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Our dear friend Finnegan should build a half-circle fence with the river as the diameter, giving the horses about 0.4 square miles to frolic and play in.Area of semi-circle = πr² / 2 = π × .5 miles² / 2 = 0.3927

Our dear friend Finnegan should build a half-circle fence with the river as the diameter, giving the horses about 0.4 square miles to frolic and play in.

Area of semi-circle = πr² / 2 = π × .5 miles² / 2 = 0.3927

Posted in Brain Teasers

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