The Loaded Revolver Riddle
Henry has been caught stealing cattle, and is brought into town for justice. The judge is his ex-wife Gretchen, who wants to show him some sympathy, but the law clearly calls for two shots to be taken at Henry from close range. To make things a little better for Henry, Gretchen tells him she will place two bullets into a six-chambered revolver in successive order. She will spin the chamber, close it, and take one shot. If Henry is still alive, she will then either take another shot, or spin the chamber again before shooting.
Henry is a bit incredulous that his own ex-wife would carry out the punishment, and a bit sad that she was always such a rule follower. He steels himself as Gretchen loads the chambers, spins the revolver, and pulls the trigger. Whew! It was blank. Then Gretchen asks, "Do you want me to pull the trigger again, or should I spin the chamber a second time before pulling the trigger?"
What should Henry choose?
Henry is a bit incredulous that his own ex-wife would carry out the punishment, and a bit sad that she was always such a rule follower. He steels himself as Gretchen loads the chambers, spins the revolver, and pulls the trigger. Whew! It was blank. Then Gretchen asks, "Do you want me to pull the trigger again, or should I spin the chamber a second time before pulling the trigger?"
What should Henry choose?
Hint:
Henry should have Gretchen pull the trigger again without spinning.
We know that the first chamber Gretchen fired was one of the four empty chambers. Since the bullets were placed in consecutive order, one of the empty chambers is followed by a bullet, and the other three empty chambers are followed by another empty chamber. So if Henry has Gretchen pull the trigger again, the probability that a bullet will be fired is 1/4.
If Gretchen spins the chamber again, the probability that she shoots Henry would be 2/6, or 1/3, since there are two possible bullets that would be in firing position out of the six possible chambers that would be in position. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
We know that the first chamber Gretchen fired was one of the four empty chambers. Since the bullets were placed in consecutive order, one of the empty chambers is followed by a bullet, and the other three empty chambers are followed by another empty chamber. So if Henry has Gretchen pull the trigger again, the probability that a bullet will be fired is 1/4.
If Gretchen spins the chamber again, the probability that she shoots Henry would be 2/6, or 1/3, since there are two possible bullets that would be in firing position out of the six possible chambers that would be in position. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Taking You To School
This vehicle makes frequent stops
So getting to places can be slow
In London theyre usually red
The ones you take to school are yellow
So getting to places can be slow
In London theyre usually red
The ones you take to school are yellow
Hint:
A Prisoner Escaped From A Prison Riddle
A prisoner escaped from a prison and began to make a dash on foot. He ran for about 3 miles with intermittent stops to catch his breath until he saw a police car coming towards him. Instead of turning in the opposite direction and making a run for it, the man ran towards the police car briefly before turning and running into a nearby woods to hide. Why did the man run towards the police car?
Hint:
The man was more than halfway across a bridge when he spotted the police car, so the quickest way to leave the bridge was to run towards the police car and then turn and run into the woods to hide. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Toasting Toast
Jasmine has a toaster with two slots that toasts one side of each piece of bread at a time, and it takes one minute to do so.
If she wants to make 3 pieces of toast, what is the least amount of time she needs to toast them on both sides?
If she wants to make 3 pieces of toast, what is the least amount of time she needs to toast them on both sides?
Hint:
3 minutes. She puts two pieces in the toaster, toasting one side of each. Then she flips one of them, takes one out, and puts the completely untoasted piece into the toaster. Finally, she takes out the toasted piece and puts the two half-toasted pieces of bread into the toaster for a minute and she's done. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Chess Board
You have an 8 by 8 chess board that has two corner squares diagonal from each other removed. Is there any way to place 31 dominoes of size 2x1 to cover the remaining 62 spaces?
Hint:
No. When you remove the two diagonal spaces from the chess board they are both black or both white, making it so that there are two more of the other color. Each domino would cover 1 black and 1 white space. So 31 of them would have to cover 31 white spaces and 31 black spaces but with the corners removed there are 30 of one color and 32 of the other. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Eight Eights
Hint:
The Broken Grandfather Clock
A grandfather has a broken grandfather clock that is off by a minute every hour (too fast). He figures out a way, while keeping it running at the same rate, to make the clock say the correct time twice a day.
How could he do this?
How could he do this?
Hint:
What Are The Coins?
Hint:
A nickel and a quarter: one of them isn't a nickel but the other one is Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Made Of Ten
Made of ten but two we make,
When assembled others quake,
Five apart and we are weak,
Five together havoc wreak.
What are we?
When assembled others quake,
Five apart and we are weak,
Five together havoc wreak.
What are we?
Hint:
I Supply The Facts
I supply the facts, but you supply the thoughts. I am also used to describe realistic droughts. My inhabitants are abstract as their places, And I provide details of their words & faces. I hold details in a very complex form, I may cause your mind to conjure up a storm. I hold many different views from different eyes, My facts can be hard to find; as if in disguise. I may tell of facts, but it may be theories I contain, I can inform, persuade, and can even entertain. I tell of a little girl, and of men chasing a whale, and only through me can you find the answer to this tale. What am I?
Hint: I am educational.
A Lion At Work
Hint:
The One Who Buys It, Never Uses It...
The one who makes it, sells it. The one who buys it, never uses it. The one that uses it never knows that hes using it. What is it?
Hint:
The Red Hat
Once upon a time there lived a king who wished to find the wisest man in the realm to be his assistant. He summons the 3 known wisest men to his court and he administers the following test.
He sits them in a circle, facing each other and he says Im going to put either a red hat or a white hat on each of your heads. He proceeds to place a red hat on each of their heads. Obviously they can see each other but there are no mirrors in the room so they cant see whats on their heads. He says If you can see a red hat, raise your hand. They all raise their hands. Then he says If you can tell what color hat you have on, stand up.
Time goes on, one guy looks at another guy, he looks at the other guy. The other guy looks at him. Finally one guy stands up. The question is how did he know he was wearing a red hat?
He sits them in a circle, facing each other and he says Im going to put either a red hat or a white hat on each of your heads. He proceeds to place a red hat on each of their heads. Obviously they can see each other but there are no mirrors in the room so they cant see whats on their heads. He says If you can see a red hat, raise your hand. They all raise their hands. Then he says If you can tell what color hat you have on, stand up.
Time goes on, one guy looks at another guy, he looks at the other guy. The other guy looks at him. Finally one guy stands up. The question is how did he know he was wearing a red hat?
Hint: For a moment or two, nobody moved. Nobody knew for certain what color his hat was, and thats what told the wisest guy that all of the hats were red.
Step 1:
Wiseguy #1 knows he can see two red hats.
Step 2:
Wiseguy #1 thinks, "Hey, if I were wearing a white hat, Wiseguy #2 would see one red hat and one white."
Step 3:
Wiseguy #1 then thinks, "If I were wearing a white hat, and Wiseguy #2 saw one red hat and one white (and if he were wearing a white hat himself), then Wiseguy #3 would have seen two white hats. So, Wiseguy #3 wouldnt have raised his hand to the first question.
Wiseguy #1 thinks, "If that were true, Wiseguy #2 would be sure that he had a red hat. But since Wiseguy #2 was actually unsure about his hat color, it can only mean one thing, my hat is red." Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Wiseguy #1 knows he can see two red hats.
Step 2:
Wiseguy #1 thinks, "Hey, if I were wearing a white hat, Wiseguy #2 would see one red hat and one white."
Step 3:
Wiseguy #1 then thinks, "If I were wearing a white hat, and Wiseguy #2 saw one red hat and one white (and if he were wearing a white hat himself), then Wiseguy #3 would have seen two white hats. So, Wiseguy #3 wouldnt have raised his hand to the first question.
Wiseguy #1 thinks, "If that were true, Wiseguy #2 would be sure that he had a red hat. But since Wiseguy #2 was actually unsure about his hat color, it can only mean one thing, my hat is red." Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
September October November Riddle
In September, you pick me when I'm good and ready.
In October, you cut me intentionally to make me look worse.
In November, you trash me like you never knew me.
What am I?
In October, you cut me intentionally to make me look worse.
In November, you trash me like you never knew me.
What am I?
Hint: It helps if you think about each month differently and then as a whole.
Ears That Cannot Hear
This is a common riddle that's very simple but can be tricky if you don't catch the clues provided in the question. Can you solve this riddle in under 30 seconds?
Hint: The ears aren't human ears.
Add Your Riddle Here
Have some tricky riddles of your own? Leave them below for our users to try and solve.