The Emperor's Proposition Riddle
You are a prisoner sentenced to death. The Emperor offers you a chance to live by playing a simple game. He gives you 50 black marbles, 50 white marbles and 2 empty bowls. He then says, "Divide these 100 marbles into these 2 bowls. You can divide them any way you like as long as you use all the marbles. Then I will blindfold you and mix the bowls around. You then can choose one bowl and remove ONE marble. If the marble is WHITE you will live, but if the marble is BLACK... you will die."
How do you divide the marbles up so that you have the greatest probability of choosing a WHITE marble?
How do you divide the marbles up so that you have the greatest probability of choosing a WHITE marble?
Hint: The answer does not guarantee 100% you will chose a white marble, but you have a much better chance.
Place 1 white marble in one bowl, and place the rest of the marbles in the other bowl (49 whites, and 50 blacks).
This way you begin with a 50/50 chance of choosing the bowl with just one white marble, therefore life! BUT even if you choose the other bowl, you still have ALMOST a 50/50 chance at picking one of the 49 white marbles. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
This way you begin with a 50/50 chance of choosing the bowl with just one white marble, therefore life! BUT even if you choose the other bowl, you still have ALMOST a 50/50 chance at picking one of the 49 white marbles. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Brown Shell On The Outside
Ive a brown shell on the outside
And my shape is an oval
However, I am not an egg
From a palm trees where I fall
I am?
And my shape is an oval
However, I am not an egg
From a palm trees where I fall
I am?
Hint:
The Wild Wild West
In the Wild West, you challenge two cowboys - Hunter Jack and Sharp Shooter Leo into a death match. They being better shooter than you readily accept your challenge. But they don't want to waste bullets and thus lay down a certain rules that are accepted by you as well. Here are the rules:
1) Everyone shoot in a given order till only one is left.
2) Everyone shoot only once when his turn arrive.
3) If any one of you is injured, the other two will finish him off together.
4) The worst shooter gets to shoot first (which is you) and the best one shoots at the last.
Now, what tactics will you use if you know that you hit every third shot of yours, Jack hits every second shot and Leo hits every shot?
1) Everyone shoot in a given order till only one is left.
2) Everyone shoot only once when his turn arrive.
3) If any one of you is injured, the other two will finish him off together.
4) The worst shooter gets to shoot first (which is you) and the best one shoots at the last.
Now, what tactics will you use if you know that you hit every third shot of yours, Jack hits every second shot and Leo hits every shot?
Hint:
The best thing for you will be to shoot your first shot in air.
If you try to shoot at Jack and hits him by chance, Leo always hits on the target and you are dead.
If you choose to shoot at Leo and hits him by chance, then there is a fifty percent chance that Jack will hit you.
If you shoot in air, the next turn is of Jack and he knows that Leo is a better shooter which means that he will shoot at him. If he misses, he is definitely dead as Leo will shoot on him coz he shot at him. The next turn will be yours and you stand a 1/3rd chance of hitting him. Also if, he is able to hit Leo. The next chance is yours again and you can try the 1/3rd probability of hitting over Jack.
This is the best situation that you can face. At every other possible way, you will face a worse situation for sure. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
If you try to shoot at Jack and hits him by chance, Leo always hits on the target and you are dead.
If you choose to shoot at Leo and hits him by chance, then there is a fifty percent chance that Jack will hit you.
If you shoot in air, the next turn is of Jack and he knows that Leo is a better shooter which means that he will shoot at him. If he misses, he is definitely dead as Leo will shoot on him coz he shot at him. The next turn will be yours and you stand a 1/3rd chance of hitting him. Also if, he is able to hit Leo. The next chance is yours again and you can try the 1/3rd probability of hitting over Jack.
This is the best situation that you can face. At every other possible way, you will face a worse situation for sure. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Throwing A Basketball Riddle
A man takes a basketball and throws it as hard as he can. There is nothing in front, behind, or on either side of him, and yet, the ball comes back and hits him square in the face. How can this be?
Hint:
The Tenth Floor Elevator Riddle
A man lives on the tenth floor of a building. Every day he takes the elevator to go down to the ground floor to go to work. When he returns he takes the same elevator to the seventh floor and walks up the stairs to reach his apartment on the tenth floor. He hates walking so why does he do it?
Note that there is nothing wrong with the elevator or the design of the building. It's a perfectly normal elevator in a perfectly normal building.
Note that there is nothing wrong with the elevator or the design of the building. It's a perfectly normal elevator in a perfectly normal building.
Hint: The elevator is perfectly normal and the design of the building is perfectly normal, but there is something different about the man.
The man is very short (i.e. a little person).
Because of his short stature, the man is unable to reach any higher than the button for the 7th floor (elevator floor number buttons are laid out in descending floor order from top to bottom). Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Because of his short stature, the man is unable to reach any higher than the button for the 7th floor (elevator floor number buttons are laid out in descending floor order from top to bottom). Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Crossing The Desert Riddle
A camel driver has to cross the desert and get to the Nile River to transport his merchandise. It takes six weeks to cross the desert and get to the Nile River. He can only carry four weeks of food for himself and his camel at any time because the camel also has to carry his merchandise. If he can not get help from anyone else or get anymore camels, and there is an unlimited supply of food where he is at, how can he cross the desert and get to the Nile River?
Hint:
He takes four weeks of food and leaves two weeks of food supplies in the one week mark and goes back with the one week of food supply left. Then he goes back with four weeks of food and picks up one week of food supplies from the one week mark giving him four again in total, then he leaves two weeks of supply in the two week mark and goes back to the one week mark and picks up the one week food supply to go back. Then he leaves with the four weeks of food supply and goes to the two week mark and picks up the two week food supplies that were there giving him four weeks of food again, then he goes to the Nile River with the four weeks supply of food. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Dying Of Thirst
You are dying of thirst walking through me. You starve to death over night. You find nothing in my path. Ambiguous and furious in my sight. Kill and threatened by my people. I am?
Hint:
Sand
Desert is the answer to this riddle. Kill and threatened by my people are talking about animals that live in the desert. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Desert is the answer to this riddle. Kill and threatened by my people are talking about animals that live in the desert. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Something I Seek
There is something I seek.
While it is bound, it chooses kings and peasants.
When it is freed, it foretells war or woe.
While it bound, it propels men's lusts and furies.
When it is freed, it tumbles, falls, and fades.
While it is bound, life will often thrive.
When it is freed, death will often follow.
What do I seek?
While it is bound, it chooses kings and peasants.
When it is freed, it foretells war or woe.
While it bound, it propels men's lusts and furies.
When it is freed, it tumbles, falls, and fades.
While it is bound, life will often thrive.
When it is freed, death will often follow.
What do I seek?
Hint:
A Suit In A Deck Of Cards
I'm red but Im not a strawberry
I'm a shape but Im not a square
I'm part of your body but Im not your mouth
I'm a suit in a deck of cards but Im not a spade
I'm used to say I love you but Im not a diamond
I'm a?
I'm a shape but Im not a square
I'm part of your body but Im not your mouth
I'm a suit in a deck of cards but Im not a spade
I'm used to say I love you but Im not a diamond
I'm a?
Hint:
Going To School Riddle
This is something thats yellow
But its not a leaf in the fall
Its a type of vehicle
Which takes you everyday to school
What is this?
But its not a leaf in the fall
Its a type of vehicle
Which takes you everyday to school
What is this?
Hint:
A Metal Room With A Metal Door
A prisoner was stuck in a metal room with a metal door that was locked. There was no windows and nothing in the room but a piano. What can he do to escape?
Hint:
Lily Pad Riddle
In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half the lake?
Hint:
The patch doubles in size every day and so on the 47th day the patch will be half the size it is on the 48th day Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Archery Experts Riddle
Hint:
Every Night I'm Told What To Do
Every night I'm told what to do,
and each morning I do what I'm told.
But I still don't escape your scold.
What am I?
and each morning I do what I'm told.
But I still don't escape your scold.
What am I?
Hint:
17 Cows Riddle
An old farmer died and left 17 cows to his three sons. In his will, the farmer stated that his oldest son should get 1/2, his middle son should get 1/3, and his youngest son should get 1/9 of all the cows. The sons, who did not want to end up with half cows, sat for days trying to figure out how many cows each of them should get.
One day, their neighbor came by to see how they were doing after their father's death. The three sons told him their problem. After thinking for a while, the neighbor said: "I'll be right back!" He went away, and when he came back, the three sons could divide the cows according to their father's will, and in such a way that each of them got a whole number of cows.
What was the neighbor's solution?
One day, their neighbor came by to see how they were doing after their father's death. The three sons told him their problem. After thinking for a while, the neighbor said: "I'll be right back!" He went away, and when he came back, the three sons could divide the cows according to their father's will, and in such a way that each of them got a whole number of cows.
What was the neighbor's solution?
Hint:
The neighbour borrowed an extra cow, to make the total number of cows 18. Then the oldest son got 1/2 of 18 is 9 cows, the middle son got 1/3 of 18 is 6 cows, and the youngest son got 1/9 of 18 is 2 cows. Since 9+6+2 = 17, the cows could be divided among the three brothers in such a way that the borrowed cow was left over, and could be returned to its owner. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Add Your Riddle Here
Have some tricky riddles of your own? Leave them below for our users to try and solve.