Questions tagged [word-problem]
A mathematical puzzle that's stated in words, usually in terms of a story or a situation that dresses the problem up.
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Ernie and the disappointing drill bits
I was driving to Ernie's place a couple of days ago, with Ernie in the passenger seat, when we drove past an old building with a faded sign reading Lar's Tool's. Beneath it, scrawled on the front wall ...
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votes
2
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On which date was Marina born?
The puzzle is as follows:
In 2012, which began on a Sunday, Marina was happy because her birthday was on a Saturday and she celebrated it with her friends. We know, Marina was born in a year where ...
- 1,545
6
votes
1
answer
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Two players alternately name dates
Two players alternately name dates. The winner is the player who names 31st December, and the starting date is 1st January. If a player names Xst of Y Month, the other player can name the first of the ...
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2
votes
1
answer
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Which step is creaky?
The problem is as follows:
Ms. Flor has a 50-step wooden staircase that allows access from the
first floor to the second floor. One of the steps creaks when a person
stands on it. Diego and Mike are ...
- 1,545
2
votes
1
answer
141
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Number of bullets for each hunter [duplicate]
The problem is as follows:
Two hunters make a stop in the forest to eat their breads. One of them
has 5 breads and the other has 3 breads. Suddenly, another hunter
appears, who has no bread at all. ...
- 1,545
9
votes
1
answer
384
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Ernie and the literary criticism
When I dropped in on Ernie over the weekend he commented that he hadn’t seen me for a while. I had to confess that my evenings had been very busy recently - first at the local Community College doing ...
- 13.6k
2
votes
2
answers
217
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Find the competition rankings of three people based on their final scores
I found this puzzle in my Logic and Reason book from 2000's. The topic is ordering information. From the looks of it seems to be an adaptation from a reprinted version of Martin Gardner's 70's book of ...
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votes
0
answers
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Problem Solving [duplicate]
Long time ago in Egypt, an old man died and left a herd of 41 camels to his three sons.
According to his will, the oldest son should get 1/2 of the camels, the second son 1/3,
and the youngest 1/7 of ...
3
votes
3
answers
171
views
finding a number using clues [closed]
The digit on hundreds place of a three-digit number is 2, the digit on tens place is 3 less than the digit on ones place. 6 times the product of the three digits is 20 less than this number. What is ...
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votes
1
answer
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Ernie and the Chocolate Bomb
Last week when I visited Ernie he complained that his trousers had shrunk in the wash. I suggested an alternate possibility – he was putting on weight. So he decided to go on a diet and to support him,...
- 13.6k
2
votes
3
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How do I find the least number of times a shuttle can travel from one place to another?
I often see this situation in exams and I'd like to know if there is any kind of algorithm or shortcut that I can use to solve this puzzle instead of just guessing.
The problem is as follows:
A space ...
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6
votes
2
answers
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Is there a way in which all the members can be seated?
Here's a puzzle where it is very difficult to find a possible seating arrangement of all the members.
I have been struggling to solve it. I have devoted so much of my time trying to figure out ...
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1
vote
2
answers
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views
Find the least number of objects from a jar when those have two colors
I've been going in circles with this question which belongs to certainty about something. The original source of this problem is unknown. I found it in a textbook who doesn't have an author but rather ...
- 1,545
-1
votes
1
answer
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Forming numbers from a given word [closed]
How many integers can you form using the letters of the word "interchangeability"? Note: You can ignore spaces when forming numbers.
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1
answer
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Number whose letters are in alphabetical order [duplicate]
Can you find the smallest number whose letters are in alphabetical order when spelled out in English?
- 33.2k
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votes
1
answer
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Ernie and the Superconducting Boxes
I was in anticipation all last week. Ernie, who had been travelling for several months, was finally coming home. So over the weekend I dropped in on him.
He was bursting with news. "Some wonderful ...
- 13.6k
1
vote
1
answer
253
views
Mensa 3rd Grade Recess Game [closed]
Mensa 3rd Graders At Recess
There are dozens of variations of this puzzle type, but I put my own spin and characteristics to it.
It is lunch time for the little ones at Mensa Mini's Private School. ...
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votes
2
answers
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The CompuTaria Quest - A young Wizard's journey
Once Upon A Time In A Land FAR, FAR Away...
Our adventure begins in the enchanted land called "CompuTaria".
You are, "Binaryian" a 3rd year Wizard In Training. Today began like any other day - you ...
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11
votes
1
answer
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views
The Key to the Door
I need to get into this building. Next to the only door is a keypad with a simple 10-key numeric keypad.
I hear someone approaching so I hide in a nearby bush to observe.
They walk up to the door, ...
- 3,013
11
votes
2
answers
562
views
Oh boi! Dis waas never Engliz! #2
This puzzle is second in the series, the first one being this. But these are related in no way.
Below are some weird combinations of letters, which are actually words translated in some different ...
- 1,107
11
votes
1
answer
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views
Who attempted to betray the Boston King?
The Castle of Weshire recently declared war on the Castle of Boston. The two armies soon met, the Boston King and Weshire King giving out orders from behind their lines of soldiers, surround by their ...
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7
votes
1
answer
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Oh boi! Dis aint Engliz! #1
First some Engliz:
These weird combination of letters are actually words translated in some different languages, and concatenated.
Each line has one word translated in different languages. These ...
- 1,107
9
votes
8
answers
1k
views
What mysterious whole number am I?
From my second point of view I copy that amount of first.
I am the dominant side of two but for many I'm the worst.
I'll be tricky to find but today might be your day,
after all my neighbour is 2/3 of ...
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vote
5
answers
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views
Air Miles Challenge
This isn't my own creation, it's an exercise that my partner had to do during a work exercise and seemed interesting to share here.
You've been given 86,400 Air Miles to explore the world and there'...
user30599
7
votes
2
answers
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A Crucial Delivery
Planet Earth has been at war with the nefarious aliens of Planet XYZ for a while. The front lines are on Planet XYZ, and you, being Earth's lead scientists, need to find a way to get vital information ...
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votes
1
answer
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How many posts are needed to surround the perimeter? [closed]
Julie's garden with perimeter of 54 ft and width of 12 ft is to have posts put around it 3 feet away from the garden's edge on all sides. They are also to be three feet apart. how many posts will she ...
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8
votes
2
answers
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Half and Double Value
A 3 year old child tried to input or copy a number (written on the paper) to a calculator but he messed up with the digit places. All the digits are there but the value of the number he inputed ...
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13
votes
1
answer
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Ernie and the Case of the Singing Sisters
On my way to work each morning I pass a news-agency that usually has a sandwich-board displaying the latest headlines of a somewhat disreputable tabloid newspaper (not that I would ever buy such a ...
- 13.6k
4
votes
9
answers
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1 rabbit, seeing 6 elephants, each seeing 2 monkeys, each having 1 parrot - how many went to the river? [closed]
A rabbit saw 6 elephants while going to the river. Every elephant saw 2 monkeys going to the river. Every monkey has 1 parrot each. How many of animals went to the river?
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The Knights and the Hounds
(With thanks and congratulations to Lee Leon)
We rejoin our heroes several days after the events of
The Knights' Gift, at the head of a pack of enormous staghounds, 1000 strong. Such a pack ...
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votes
1
answer
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How can these people cross the bridge? [duplicate]
There are 4 people that must cross an old dilapidated bridge at night, All four walk at different speeds:
There is a young teenager that can cross the bridge in 1 minute.
There is teenager's older ...
- 31
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votes
1
answer
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To Plunder Treasure Islands
Captain Etarip, wants to plunder all the treasure islands that he can. There is exactly one island for every $n\in\mathbb N$. The $n^{\text{th}}$ treasure island contains three cities, each with $n$ ...
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votes
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Given these numbers, find the secret word
My son is 12 years old and his task was to find an English word from these numbers:
13; -8; 2; 2; -6; 12; 2; 6; -1; -12
where
...
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5
votes
1
answer
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Rolling a dice - Expectation Question [closed]
I heard / read / acquired this puzzle from somewhere:
Roll a die, win $2\times$ the value of the face if it is an even number, or win $1\times$ the value of the face if it is an odd number.
How ...
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4
answers
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Ernie and the Uneconomical Flat-breads
When I arrived at Ernie's place last weekend I had some exciting news for him. "did you know", I announced "that a new Kzijekistanian fast-food shop has just opened in town?". "I did", Ernie replied, "...
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5
votes
1
answer
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Grandma's Simple Puzzle Box
One day, after a long morning walk, my Grandma came home with a box in her hand and told us the story of how she got it.
She said that she met six women in the park who were sitting together in a ...
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2
answers
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Please help Solve!
Retrospectively, Professor Siwel did Quite well with his follow-up representation, Currently utilized by generation X.
The first clue given was: "A clue, the only uppercase letters that you need to ...
0
votes
3
answers
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How does the hit-man assassinate his target using only two questions?
You are a hit-man undercover at a dinner party. You are in a conversation with three people. One of them is your target. You get to ask two questions before they get tired and leave. You know that one ...
1
vote
1
answer
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Find the word with numbers
You are supposed to find a 8-letter word from the weird clock below by forming one or two digit numbers in an CCS or CS order and take first or last letter of the spelling of that number you have ...
- 30.2k
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votes
2
answers
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Ernie and the Optical Gyroscopes
I almost always take up Ernie’s offers to crew on his boat, when he suggests an overnight expedition. But when he phoned last Thursday I had to remind him that it was TV night, and Acme Satellite ...
- 13.6k
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votes
1
answer
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Ernie and the Mastermind
Recently Ernie's twin niece and nephew Maria and Mario were spending a few days staying at his place. When I dropped in on a rainy Friday morning I found them a little dissatisfied with the ...
- 13.6k
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votes
11
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Magic Time-travelling Baktun Wheel
I have an ancient mayan friend who emailed me the other day:
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Hey!
Hey how are you!
I was wondering if you were ...
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votes
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answers
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Ernie and the Slow Glass Solution
"Have a look at this" said Ernie when he dropped in unannounced yesterday, pulling what looked like an old-fashioned photographic negative from an envelope. I held the small plastic square up to the ...
- 13.6k
6
votes
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A puzzle for my family
A few years back I made this puzzle.
I finally decided to update it and post it
In my family my youngest sibling is 1 and my oldest sibling is 21. And the distance between ages is always 2 years. ...
- 575
14
votes
2
answers
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Ernie and the unfair division of the dessert
I was pleased to get an invitation to Ernie's place for dinner last Wednesday. The triplets were staying for the week so I knew Ernie would be making an extra effort to cook a gourmet home-cooked ...
- 13.6k
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vote
2
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Which horse wins the race?
Freddy, Charlie, Apple, and Boris are each one of four horses in the Belmont Stakes, a 1 1⁄2-mile race. After a mile the horses are in the following positions:
Freddy is at least an eighth of a mile ...
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votes
5
answers
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100 Prisoners' Names in Boxes - Save them all!
This puzzle is based on 100 Prisoners' Names in Boxes:
Names in Boxes
The names of 100 prisoners are placed in 100 wooden boxes, one name to a box, and the boxes are lined up on a table in a ...
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11
votes
2
answers
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Reverse hangman #12
Put in an "H", and you'll find that not many actually chase it.
Put in a "C", this free and you're clean.
Put in a "P", looks like you got it dirty.
Put in an "L", it's small, but some things go in ...
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votes
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answer
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Youre a big drinker right? Can you interpret for the drunk?
Be gentle! I'm trying something new... I'd like a full translation/interpretation, and bonus points if you spot the pattern. I expect it'll be easy as pie so think of it as a race.
A VERY drunken, ...
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votes
5
answers
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views
I have to attend to a party tomorrow, but I forgot what it was
Today, my phone notified me of something that seemed important.
tomorrow -> party with friends
I completely forgot what it was for. I proceeded to ask my friends about a party of some kind that ...
- 2,237