A Rickety Bridge Riddle
Four people need to cross a rickety bridge at night. Unfortunately, they have only one torch and the bridge is too dangerous to cross without one. The bridge is only strong enough to support two people at a time. Not all people take the same time to cross the bridge. Times for each person: 1 min, 2 mins, 7 mins and 10 mins. What is the shortest time needed for all four of them to cross the bridge?
Hint:
17 mins.
The initial solution most people will think of is to use the fastest person as an usher to guide everyone across. How long would that take? 10 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 2 = 21 mins. Is that it? No. That would make this question too simple even as a warm up question.
Let's brainstorm a little further. To reduce the amount of time, we should find a way for 10 and 7 to go together. If they cross together, then we need one of them to come back to get the others. That would not be ideal. How do we get around that? Maybe we can have 1 waiting on the other side to bring the torch back. Ahaa, we are getting closer. The fastest way to get 1 across and be back is to use 2 to usher 1 across. So let's put all this together.
1 and 2 go cross
2 comes back
7 and 10 go across
1 comes back
1 and 2 go across (done)
Total time = 2 + 2 + 10 + 1 + 2 = 17 mins Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The initial solution most people will think of is to use the fastest person as an usher to guide everyone across. How long would that take? 10 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 2 = 21 mins. Is that it? No. That would make this question too simple even as a warm up question.
Let's brainstorm a little further. To reduce the amount of time, we should find a way for 10 and 7 to go together. If they cross together, then we need one of them to come back to get the others. That would not be ideal. How do we get around that? Maybe we can have 1 waiting on the other side to bring the torch back. Ahaa, we are getting closer. The fastest way to get 1 across and be back is to use 2 to usher 1 across. So let's put all this together.
1 and 2 go cross
2 comes back
7 and 10 go across
1 comes back
1 and 2 go across (done)
Total time = 2 + 2 + 10 + 1 + 2 = 17 mins Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Doorway To Heaven
You die then you find yourself in limbo, and you see two doors. One of them leads you to hell and the other one heaven. They are being guarded by two guardians. The guardian guarding the doorway to heaven always tells the truth and the guardian guarding the doorway to hell always lies. What is the one question you will ask to either of the guardians to find out which door will lead you to heaven?
Hint:
If I asked the other guardian which door leads to heaven, what would he tell me? Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
I Get Stronger Riddle
I can help you have some fun,
Sometimes I get stronger from the sun,
If you never give me a break,
You will find I never wake,
I am optimistic on one side,
I can be short, fat, tall or wide,
Rectangle and cylinder are two of my shapes,
And I can even help you make video tapes,
Sometimes you must wait for me to get ready,
Just hold on for a few hours and be steady,
I can help you get around the mall,
Or help you make a telephone call.
What am I?
Sometimes I get stronger from the sun,
If you never give me a break,
You will find I never wake,
I am optimistic on one side,
I can be short, fat, tall or wide,
Rectangle and cylinder are two of my shapes,
And I can even help you make video tapes,
Sometimes you must wait for me to get ready,
Just hold on for a few hours and be steady,
I can help you get around the mall,
Or help you make a telephone call.
What am I?
Hint:
The King And The Kingdom Riddle
Once there lived a king who did not allow anybody to leave the kingdom and any foreigners in his kingdom. There was only one bridge that connected his empire with the outer world. A guard who was a sharpshooter was specially assigned for a lookout on the bridge. According to the orders, anyone moving outside should be killed and anyone coming to his kingdom should be sent back. To take rest, the guard used to sit inside his hut for 5 minutes and return back on the lookout. The bridge took a minimum of 8 minutes to pass.
Even then, a woman was able to escape the kingdom without incurring any kind of harm to the guard.
How ?
Even then, a woman was able to escape the kingdom without incurring any kind of harm to the guard.
How ?
Hint:
The woman started walking across the bridge when the guard was inside the hut. She walked all the time he was inside (5 minutes) and then turned and moved back towards the kingdom. On approaching the kingdom he was asked for papers and since she did not have any, she was sent back. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
The Man At The Door
In a hotel, a man was sleeping when he heard a knock on the door. He shifted the blanket and stepped down from the bed. He waked to the door and opened it to find a stranger standing outside.
Upon opening the gate, that stranger said, "Pardon me, I must have made a mistake. I thought this was my room."
The stranger then walked the corridor and climbed down the stairs. The man closed the door and immediately called the security. He asked them to arrest that stranger immediately.
Why did he asked them to arrest that stranger? What made him suspicious?
Upon opening the gate, that stranger said, "Pardon me, I must have made a mistake. I thought this was my room."
The stranger then walked the corridor and climbed down the stairs. The man closed the door and immediately called the security. He asked them to arrest that stranger immediately.
Why did he asked them to arrest that stranger? What made him suspicious?
Hint:
The stranger said that he thought the room was his. If so, he must have had the keys to the room and thus he must not have knocked. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
A Boy At The Carnival
A young boy was at the carnival. He was walking past a kiosk where an old man was sitting.
"Do you want to play a game?" the old man said to him.The young boy was intrigued. "What kind of game?" he asked.
"It's a very simple game." said the old man. "I will tell you the rules. I have ten large metal boxes. Inside one of the boxes is the prize money. One thousand dollars."
"A thousand bucks, huh?" asked the boy. "What's the catch?"
"The boxes are sturdy and strong," said the old man. "Much too strong to be opened with your bare hands. They are also airtight and cannot be damaged by a hammer, an axe or even a chainsaw."
"So they're impossible to open?" said the boy.
"Not impossible." said the man. "I have a blowtorch which can be used to open the boxes."
"Is there a time limit?" asked the boy.
"You can take as much time as you want." said the old man. "When you find the prize money, it's all yours. So, do you want to play the game?"
"Well, I don't how I could possibly lose," said the boy. "OK. I'll play your game."
The old man smiled. "I'll make it very easy for you", he said. "There are ten metal boxes, but if you give me five dollars, I will start you right next to the prize money."
The boy happily took out his wallet and handed a crisp five dollar note to the old man. There was a mischievous grin on the old man's face.The game started.The prize money was right in front of the boy. He could see it. He could touch it.Even though he won the game, the boy was never able to spend the money. He died shortly after he won the game.
How did the boy die?
"Do you want to play a game?" the old man said to him.The young boy was intrigued. "What kind of game?" he asked.
"It's a very simple game." said the old man. "I will tell you the rules. I have ten large metal boxes. Inside one of the boxes is the prize money. One thousand dollars."
"A thousand bucks, huh?" asked the boy. "What's the catch?"
"The boxes are sturdy and strong," said the old man. "Much too strong to be opened with your bare hands. They are also airtight and cannot be damaged by a hammer, an axe or even a chainsaw."
"So they're impossible to open?" said the boy.
"Not impossible." said the man. "I have a blowtorch which can be used to open the boxes."
"Is there a time limit?" asked the boy.
"You can take as much time as you want." said the old man. "When you find the prize money, it's all yours. So, do you want to play the game?"
"Well, I don't how I could possibly lose," said the boy. "OK. I'll play your game."
The old man smiled. "I'll make it very easy for you", he said. "There are ten metal boxes, but if you give me five dollars, I will start you right next to the prize money."
The boy happily took out his wallet and handed a crisp five dollar note to the old man. There was a mischievous grin on the old man's face.The game started.The prize money was right in front of the boy. He could see it. He could touch it.Even though he won the game, the boy was never able to spend the money. He died shortly after he won the game.
How did the boy die?
Hint:
The man put the inside of the box since he said for five dollars, he'd put the boy next to the money. Since the box was airtight, he suffocated Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
The Card Trick Riddle
A couple had to take shelter in a hotel for they could not proceed their journey in the rain. Having nothing to do at all, they started playing cards. Suddenly there was a short circuit and the lights went off. The husband inverted the position of 15 cards in the deck (52 cards normal deck) and shuffled the deck.
Now he asked his wife to divide the deck into two different piles which may not be equal but both of them should have equal number of cards facing up. There was no source of light in the room and the wife was unable to see the cards.
For a certain amount of time, she thought and then divided the cards in two piles. To the husbands astonishment, both of the piles had equal number of cards facing up.
How did she do it?
Now he asked his wife to divide the deck into two different piles which may not be equal but both of them should have equal number of cards facing up. There was no source of light in the room and the wife was unable to see the cards.
For a certain amount of time, she thought and then divided the cards in two piles. To the husbands astonishment, both of the piles had equal number of cards facing up.
How did she do it?
Hint:
The answer is very simple. All she had to do is take the fifteen cards from the top and reverse them. This would make another pile out of that and there will be two piles - one of 15 cards and one of 37 cards. Also both of them will have the same number of inverted cards.
Just think about it and if the mathematical explanation will help you understand better, here it is.
Assume that there were p inverted cards initially in the top 15 cards. Then the remaining 37 cards will hold 15-p inverted cards.
Now when she reverses the 15 cards on the top, the number of inverted cards will become 15-p and thus the number of inverted cards in both of the piles will become same. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Just think about it and if the mathematical explanation will help you understand better, here it is.
Assume that there were p inverted cards initially in the top 15 cards. Then the remaining 37 cards will hold 15-p inverted cards.
Now when she reverses the 15 cards on the top, the number of inverted cards will become 15-p and thus the number of inverted cards in both of the piles will become same. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The River Crossing
A river should be crossed by a father, a mother and their two sons and two daughters.
There are some rules that should be followed while crossing the river. There can be only two people in the raft while crossing. The daughters cannot be with their father unless there is the presence of the mother. The sons cannot be with their mothers unless the father is present. Unless the guard is on the board, the criminals cannot be with any of the family members. Only the adults like the father, the guard, and the mother knows to use the raft.
How will they cross the river?
There are some rules that should be followed while crossing the river. There can be only two people in the raft while crossing. The daughters cannot be with their father unless there is the presence of the mother. The sons cannot be with their mothers unless the father is present. Unless the guard is on the board, the criminals cannot be with any of the family members. Only the adults like the father, the guard, and the mother knows to use the raft.
How will they cross the river?
Hint:
The guard and the prisoner cross the river
The guard comes back
The guard and the girl cross the river.
The guard and the prisoner comes back.
The mother and the girl cross the river.
Mother comes back
The mother and the father cross the river
Father comes back
The guard and the prisoner cross the river
Mother comes back
The father and the mother cross the river
Father comes back
The father and the boy cross the river
The guard and the prisoner comes back
The guard and the boy cross the river
The guard comes back
The guard and the prisoner cross the river. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The guard comes back
The guard and the girl cross the river.
The guard and the prisoner comes back.
The mother and the girl cross the river.
Mother comes back
The mother and the father cross the river
Father comes back
The guard and the prisoner cross the river
Mother comes back
The father and the mother cross the river
Father comes back
The father and the boy cross the river
The guard and the prisoner comes back
The guard and the boy cross the river
The guard comes back
The guard and the prisoner cross the river. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Living In The Lighthouse
Every morning a man wakes up, turns off the light, eats breakfast, and leaves for work. In the early evening he comes home and turns on the light. One night he forgot to turn on the light. The next morning he died shortly after waking up. Why did he die?
Hint:
He lived in a lighthouse. When he woke up he looked out the window. To his horror he saw a shipwreck, which was his fault for leaving the light off. He killed himself out of guilt. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
The Fire He Breathed Riddle
Theres one that is called Smaug
Who in The Hobbit guarded gold
The fire that he breathed
Means that you would never be cold
What is it?
Who in The Hobbit guarded gold
The fire that he breathed
Means that you would never be cold
What is it?
Hint:
Solitary Confinement Riddle
You are in solitary confinement. It is Friday afternoon and you absolutely must have a cigarette. The only person who can give you one is the guard outside your cell. What do you do?
Hint:
To get the guard to give you a cigarette (and this really is the preferred answer to this question), threaten to kill yourself by smashing your head against the wall of your cell. That gives you leverage with the guard - hed be tied up by doing paperwork about your suicide, so hed miss weekend time with his family (its Friday afternoon, remember?) -- so hell give you a cigarette. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Throwing A Ball Riddle
What is the easiest way to throw a ball, and have it stop, and completely reverse direction after traveling a short distance?
Hint:
What is the easiest way to throw a ball, and have it stop, and completely reverse direction after traveling a short distance? Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Grown And Bought Riddle
I can be long, or I can be short.
I can be grown, and I can be bought.
I can be painted, or left bare.
I can be round, or square.
What am I?
I can be grown, and I can be bought.
I can be painted, or left bare.
I can be round, or square.
What am I?
Hint:
Seeing In The Dark Riddle
I get shorter the more Im used but Im not a pencil
Im made of wax but Im not a crayon
I can help you see in the dark but Im not a flashlight
Im often found on a birthday cake but Im not icing
What am I?
Im made of wax but Im not a crayon
I can help you see in the dark but Im not a flashlight
Im often found on a birthday cake but Im not icing
What am I?
Hint:
Tall When Young Riddle
I'm tall when I'm young, I'm short when I'm old, and every Halloween I stand up inside Jack O Lanterns. What am I?
Hint:
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