Seemingly Simple Math

What is the answer to this math problem:

8 ÷ 2 (2 + 2)

16 or 1, depending.

According to PEMDAS, parentheses come first: 8 ÷ 2 (4)

Then, even though multiplication is first in PEMDAS, you go left to right: 4 (4) = 16

If you got 1, you’re in good company. That’s what I got at first too but most calculators I’ve tried get 16.

I found this at Popular Mechanics and the debate continues online.

Posted in Brain Teasers

I Met An Old Man On London Bridge

I met an old man on London bridge,
As the sun set on the ridge,
He tipped his hat and drew his name,
And cheated at the guessing game.

What was the man’s name?

Andrew. In the third line, “and drew his name”. It works better when you say it since the spelling is a bit off when written.

Posted in Riddles

A Woman Shoots Her Husband

A woman shoots her husband, then holds him under water for five minutes. Finally, she hangs him. Five minutes later they enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

She took a photo of him and developed it in the dark room.

Posted in Riddles

Can’t Keep It Until You’ve Given It

You can’t keep this until you have given it.

A promise (or your word).

Posted in Riddles

Many and One

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

Your hands.

Posted in Riddles

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

Three Five Six To One Hundred

Without changing the order of these numbers, how can they equal 100?

3 5 6 2 54 5

= 3 * (5 – 6) + 2 * 54 – 5
= -3 + 108 – 5
= 105 – 5
= 100

Posted in Brain Teasers

The Cost of Household Hardware

A man went to the hardware store to buy items for his house.

1 would cost $.25
12 would cost $.50
122 would cost $.75

When he left the store he had spent $.75, what did he buy?

House numbers.

Posted in Riddles

No Ears and More Than One Eye

I have no ears, but more than one eye,
Cut me in half, I won’t cry,
Leave me alone and I will die.

What am I?

A potato. The roots growing out of a potato are called eyes, when you cut a potato in half it doesn’t produce any moisture and if you leave a poor potato to its own devices, it will die.

Posted in Riddles

It Is Hate

It is hate and has hate in it, but it isn’t hate.

Hatred.

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles