Two In A Row Riddle
A certain mathematician, his wife, and their teenage son all play a fair game of chess. One day when the son asked his father for 10 dollars for a Saturday night date, his father puffed his pipe for a moment and replied, "Let's do it this way. Today is Wednesday. You will play a game of chess tonight, tomorrow, and a third on Friday. If you win two games in a row, you get the money."
"Whom do I play first, you or mom?"
"You may have your choice," said the mathematician, his eyes twinkling.
The son knew that his father played a stronger game than his mother. To maximize his chance of winning two games in succession, should he play father-mother-father or mother-father-mother?
"Whom do I play first, you or mom?"
"You may have your choice," said the mathematician, his eyes twinkling.
The son knew that his father played a stronger game than his mother. To maximize his chance of winning two games in succession, should he play father-mother-father or mother-father-mother?
Hint: Who does he need to beat to win?
Father-mother-father
To beat two games in a row, it is necessary to win the second game. This means that it would be to his advantage to play the second game against the weaker player. Though he plays his father twice, he has a higher chance of winning by playing his mother second. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
To beat two games in a row, it is necessary to win the second game. This means that it would be to his advantage to play the second game against the weaker player. Though he plays his father twice, he has a higher chance of winning by playing his mother second. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Gun Fighting Riddle
Kangwa, Rafael and Ferdinand plans for gun fighting.
They each get a gun and take turns shooting at each other until only one person is left.
History suggests:
Kangwa hits his shot 1/3 of the time, gets to shoot first.
Rafael, hits his shot 2/3 of the time, gets to shoot next if still living.
Ferdinand having perfect record at shooting(100% accuracy) shoots last , if alive.
The cycle repeats. If you are Kangwa, where should you shoot first for the highest chance of survival?
They each get a gun and take turns shooting at each other until only one person is left.
History suggests:
Kangwa hits his shot 1/3 of the time, gets to shoot first.
Rafael, hits his shot 2/3 of the time, gets to shoot next if still living.
Ferdinand having perfect record at shooting(100% accuracy) shoots last , if alive.
The cycle repeats. If you are Kangwa, where should you shoot first for the highest chance of survival?
Hint:
He should shoot at the ground.
If Kangwa shoots the ground, it is Rafael's turn. Rafael would rather shoot at Ferdinand than Kangwa, because he is better.
If Rafael kills Ferdinand, it is just Kangwa and Rafael left, giving Kangwa a fair chance of winning.
If Rafael does not kill Ferdinand, it is Ferdinand's turn. He would rather shoot at Rafael and will definitely kill him. Even though it is now Kangwa against Ferdinand, Kangwa has a better chance of winning than before. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
If Kangwa shoots the ground, it is Rafael's turn. Rafael would rather shoot at Ferdinand than Kangwa, because he is better.
If Rafael kills Ferdinand, it is just Kangwa and Rafael left, giving Kangwa a fair chance of winning.
If Rafael does not kill Ferdinand, it is Ferdinand's turn. He would rather shoot at Rafael and will definitely kill him. Even though it is now Kangwa against Ferdinand, Kangwa has a better chance of winning than before. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The Miracle Mountain Riddle
A hiker climbs all day up a steep mountain path and arrives at the mountain top where he camps overnight. The next day he begins the descent down the same trail to the bottom of the mountain when suddenly he looks at his watch and exclaims, "That is amazing! I was at this very same spot at exactly the same time of day yesterday on my way up."
What is the probability that a hiker will be at exactly the same spot on the mountain at the same time of day on his return trip, as he was on the previous day's hike up the mountain?
Is the probability closest to (A) 99% or (B) 50% or (C) 0.1% ?
What is the probability that a hiker will be at exactly the same spot on the mountain at the same time of day on his return trip, as he was on the previous day's hike up the mountain?
Is the probability closest to (A) 99% or (B) 50% or (C) 0.1% ?
Hint: This is not a trick. His watch works perfectly well. He does not sit in the same spot all day or any other such device, although it would not change the answer if he did!
The answer is (A). Since it must happen, the probability is actually 1 (100%).
Explanation: Firstly, consider 2 men, one starting from the top of the mountain and hiking down while the other starts at the bottom and hikes up. At some time in the day, they will cross over. In other words they will be at the same place at the same time of day.
Now consider our man who has walked up on one day and begins the descent the next day. Imagine there is someone (a second person) shadowing his exact movements from the day before. When he meets his shadower (it must happen) it will be the exact place that he was the day before, and of course they are both at this spot at the same time.
Contrary to our common sense, which seems to say that this is an extremely unlikely event, it is a certainty.
NOTE: There is one unlikely event here, and that is that he will notice the time when he is at the correct location on both days, but that was not what the question asked. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Explanation: Firstly, consider 2 men, one starting from the top of the mountain and hiking down while the other starts at the bottom and hikes up. At some time in the day, they will cross over. In other words they will be at the same place at the same time of day.
Now consider our man who has walked up on one day and begins the descent the next day. Imagine there is someone (a second person) shadowing his exact movements from the day before. When he meets his shadower (it must happen) it will be the exact place that he was the day before, and of course they are both at this spot at the same time.
Contrary to our common sense, which seems to say that this is an extremely unlikely event, it is a certainty.
NOTE: There is one unlikely event here, and that is that he will notice the time when he is at the correct location on both days, but that was not what the question asked. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Little Billy's Calculator
Little Billy has a calculator with 15 buttons. He has 10 keys for 0-9, a key for addition, multiplication, division, and subtraction. Finally, he has an = sign. However, Mark the Meanie messed up the programming on Billy's calculator. Now, whenever Billy presses any of the number keys, it comes up with a random single-digit number. The same goes for the four operations keys (+,-,x, /). So whenever Billy tries to press the + button, the calculator chooses randomly between addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division. The only key left untouched was the = sign.
Now, if Billy were to press one number key, one operation key, then another number key, then the = button, what are the chances the answer comes out to 6?
Now, if Billy were to press one number key, one operation key, then another number key, then the = button, what are the chances the answer comes out to 6?
Hint: Think about how many ways he could possibly get 6.
There is a 4% chance.
There are 16 possible ways to get 6.
0+6
1+5
2+4
3+3
6+0
5+1
4+2
9-3
8-2
7-1
6-0
1x6
2x3
6x1
3x2
6/1
There are 400 possible button combinations.
When Billy presses any number key, there are 10 possibilities; when he presses any operation key, there are 4 possibilities.
10(1st#)x4(Operation)x10(2nd#)=400
16 working combinations/400 possible combinations= .04 or 4% Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
There are 16 possible ways to get 6.
0+6
1+5
2+4
3+3
6+0
5+1
4+2
9-3
8-2
7-1
6-0
1x6
2x3
6x1
3x2
6/1
There are 400 possible button combinations.
When Billy presses any number key, there are 10 possibilities; when he presses any operation key, there are 4 possibilities.
10(1st#)x4(Operation)x10(2nd#)=400
16 working combinations/400 possible combinations= .04 or 4% Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The 3 Inch Cube Riddle
A 3 inch cube is painted on all sides with RED. The cube is then cut into small cubes of dimension 1 inch. All the so cut cubes are collected and thrown on a flat surface. What is the probability that all the top facing surfaces have RED paint on them?
Hint: Visualize the core of the cube.
ZERO.
The core of the 3 inch cube when cut, has all faces that are not painted. Hence at least one cube with no painted face always occurs. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The core of the 3 inch cube when cut, has all faces that are not painted. Hence at least one cube with no painted face always occurs. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
10 From 100 Riddle
Hint:
The Coin Toss Riddle
You are in a bar having a drink with an old friend when he proposes a wager.
"Want to play a game?" he asks.
"Sure, why not?" you reply.
"Ok, here's how it works. You choose three possible outcomes of a coin toss, either HHH, TTT, HHT or whatever. I will do likewise. I will then start flipping the coin continuously until either one of our combinations comes up. The person whose combination comes up first is the winner. And to prove I'm not the cheating little weasel you're always making me out to be, I'll even let you go first so you have more combinations to choose from. So how about it? Is $10.00 a fair bet?"
You know that your friend is a skilled trickster and usually has a trick or two up his sleeve but maybe he's being honest this time. Maybe this is a fair bet. While you try and think of which combination is most likely to come up first, you suddenly hit upon a strategy which will be immensely beneficial to you. What is it?
"Want to play a game?" he asks.
"Sure, why not?" you reply.
"Ok, here's how it works. You choose three possible outcomes of a coin toss, either HHH, TTT, HHT or whatever. I will do likewise. I will then start flipping the coin continuously until either one of our combinations comes up. The person whose combination comes up first is the winner. And to prove I'm not the cheating little weasel you're always making me out to be, I'll even let you go first so you have more combinations to choose from. So how about it? Is $10.00 a fair bet?"
You know that your friend is a skilled trickster and usually has a trick or two up his sleeve but maybe he's being honest this time. Maybe this is a fair bet. While you try and think of which combination is most likely to come up first, you suddenly hit upon a strategy which will be immensely beneficial to you. What is it?
Hint: Think what would be most likely to happen if you chose HHH, would this be a good decision?
The answer is to let your friend go first. This puzzle is based on an old game/scam called Penny Ante. No matter what you picked, your friend would be able to come up with a combination which would be more likely to beat yours. For example, if you were to choose HHH, then unless HHH was the first combination to come up you would eventually lose since as soon as a Tails came up, the combination THH would inevitably come up before HHH. The basic formula you can use for working out which combination you should choose is as follows. Simply take his combination (eg. HHT) take the last term in his combination, put it at the front (in this case making THH) and your combination will be more likely to come up first. Try it on your friends! Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Exposed To A Disease Riddle
A boy and his father have been exposed to a disease. Sadly, the father rapidly develops a tumor and dies. The boy survives, but desperately needs an operation and is rushed to hospital. A surgeon is called. Upon entering the room and seeing the patient, the surgeon exclaims, Oh no! I cant do the operation. Thats my son!
Hint:
Billie's Birthday Riddle
Billie was born on December 28th, yet her birthday always falls in the summer. How is this possible?
Hint:
A 10 Foot Rope Ladder
A 10 foot rope ladder hangs over the side of a boat with the bottom rung on the surface of the water. The rungs are one foot apart, and the tide goes up at the rate of 6 inches per hour. How long will it be until three rungs are covered?
Hint:
Dressed In All Black
A man dressed in all black is walking down a country lane. Suddenly, a large black car without any lights on comes round the corner and screeches to a halt. How did the car know he was there?
Hint:
The Sinking Boat Riddle
Hint:
Got No Skin Riddle
You can see my humerus
But it doesnt mean Im funny
Ive got no skin so I dont get tanned
When outside its hot and sunny
What could I be?
But it doesnt mean Im funny
Ive got no skin so I dont get tanned
When outside its hot and sunny
What could I be?
Hint:
I Make You Gay
When young, I am sweet in the sun. When middle-aged, I make you gay. When old, I am valued more than ever. What am I?
Hint:
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 mans name?
As the sun set on the ridge,
He tipped his hat and drew his name,
And cheated at the guessing game.
What was the mans name?
Hint:
Andrew. In the third line, and drew his name. It works better when you say it. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
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