AMAIZING PUZZLES

1. A Matter of Time

Fifty minutes ago if it was four times as many minutes past three o’clock,

how many minutes is it to six o’clock?

2. Around the Equator

Two identical trains at the equator start traveling round the world in opposite

directions. They start together run at the same speed and are on different tracks. Which train will wear out its wheel treads first?

3. The Gong

Supposing a clock takes 7 seconds to strike 7 .How long will the same clock takes to strike 10?

4. Brothers and Sisters

A family I know has several children. Each boy in this family has as many sisters as brothers but each girl has twice as many brothers as sisters. How many brothers and sisters are there?

5. Cotton or Gold

Which would you say is heavier, a pound of cotton or a pound of gold?

6. The Peculiar Number

There is a number which is very peculiar. This number is three times the sum of its digits. Can you find the number?

7. The Digital Game

There is a number, the second digit of which is smaller than its first digits by 4, and if the number was divided by the digits sum, the quotient would be 7. Can you find the number?

8. Right Foot Forward

A short man takes 3 steps to a tall man’s 2 steps. They both start out on the left foot. How many steps do they have to take before they are both stepping out on the right foot together?

9. The Number Game

The product of three consecutive numbers when divided by each of them in turn, the sum of the three quotients will be 74. What are the numbers?

10. The Sari and the Blouse

I brought a sari and a blouse for Rs. 110 at the Market. The sari cost Rs. 100 more than the blouse, how much does the sari cost?

11. The Weight of the Block

A cement block balances evenly on the scales with three quarters of a pound and three quarters of a block. What is the weight of the whole block?

12. The Special Number

There is a number whose double is greater than its half by 45. Can you find this number?

13. Sawing the Tree Trunk

A heavy tree trunk can be sawed into a 12 ft long piece in one minutes .How long will it take to saw it into 12 equal pieces?

14. The Split

Can you split 34 parts into two parts such that 4/7 of one of the parts gquals 2/5 of the other?

15. Father and Son

A father, I know, is 4 times his son’s age. And in 30 years son’s age will be half of his father’s age. How old are the father and son now?

ANSWERS

1. 26 minutes
2. Naturally, the train traveling against the spin of the earth. This train will wear out its wheels more quickly, because the centrifugal force is less on this train.
3. while striking 7 the clock strikes its first gong at 7 o’clock and it strikes 6 more at regular intervals. These 6 intervals take 7 seconds so that the intervals between gongs is 7/6 seconds. However, to strike 10 there are 9 intervals each taking 7/6 seconds for a total of 10 ½ seconds
4. Since the boys have as many brothers as sisters, there must be 1 boy more than the number of girls. If we try 2 & 1, 3&2, 4&3, we will find that 4 boys and 3 girls is the solution to fulfill the requirement that each girl has twice as many brothers as sisters.
5. A pound of cotton is heavier than a pound of gold because cotton is weighed by the avoirdupois pound, which consists of 16 ounces, where as gold, being a precious metal is weighed by the troy pound which contains 12 ounces (5760 grams)
6. Number is 27, 2+7=9
7. The number is 84
8. They will never step out with right foot together
9. 4, 5 and 6
10. If the sari cost Rs. 100 and the blouse Rs. 10 the difference would be Rs 90 and therefore, the sari must cost more and the blouse less. A little thought indicates the sari costs Rs 105 and the blouse Rs 5. so , the difference in cost is Rs 100
11. The whole block weighs 3 lbs
12. 30
13. Eleven minutes. The 12^th piece does not require sawing
14. 14 & 20
15. The ratio of the father and son’s age is now 4 to 1, and 30 years from now it will be 2 to 1. the period of thirty years equals the difference of the two ratios or 2 to 1 therefore , 30* 2=60, the father’s age and ½*30=15, the son’s age