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
Crossing The Bridge Riddle
There are two villages separated with a river. Each day, four people cross the river through a bridge to work on the other side and earn for their families. On one night when they were returning from work, they noticed that the bridge was about to collapse. Now all of them wanted to cross the bridge before it collapsed as no one wanted to be stuck on that end without their families.
They had just one torch with them and since it was the night time, they could not see without it. The bridge had become weak and it could only accommodate two people at a time. It was going to collapse in just 17 minutes.
The four people took different times to cross the bridge. First one took only a minute, second one took 2 minutes, third one took 5 minutes and the last one took 10 minutes.
How would all of them have managed to cross the bridge in time?
They had just one torch with them and since it was the night time, they could not see without it. The bridge had become weak and it could only accommodate two people at a time. It was going to collapse in just 17 minutes.
The four people took different times to cross the bridge. First one took only a minute, second one took 2 minutes, third one took 5 minutes and the last one took 10 minutes.
How would all of them have managed to cross the bridge in time?
Hint:
Let us denote the four people with A, B, C and D.
A takes 1 minute to cross, B takes 2, C takes 5 and D takes 10.
A and B cross first spending 2 minutes.
A comes back with torch taking 1 minute.
C and D cross taking 10 minutes.
B comes back with torch taking 2 minutes.
Finally, A and B cross the bridge taking 2 minutes.
2 + 1 + 10 + 2 + 2 = 17 minutes
Thus, this is the way they all managed to cross that bridge that night. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
A takes 1 minute to cross, B takes 2, C takes 5 and D takes 10.
A and B cross first spending 2 minutes.
A comes back with torch taking 1 minute.
C and D cross taking 10 minutes.
B comes back with torch taking 2 minutes.
Finally, A and B cross the bridge taking 2 minutes.
2 + 1 + 10 + 2 + 2 = 17 minutes
Thus, this is the way they all managed to cross that bridge that night. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Slides On Snow Riddle
I have a toy that
rhymes with red.
It slides on snow.
Careful on this
Or you'll bump your head.
What is it?
rhymes with red.
It slides on snow.
Careful on this
Or you'll bump your head.
What is it?
Hint:
Running Through Fields And Woods Riddle
Riddle me this
I run over fields and woods all day. Under the bed at night I sit, never alone. My tongue hangs out, up and to the rear, waiting to be filled in the morning. What am I?
I run over fields and woods all day. Under the bed at night I sit, never alone. My tongue hangs out, up and to the rear, waiting to be filled in the morning. What am I?
Hint:
Drowning On Dry Land Riddle
Riddle me this
Alive without breath. As cold as death. Never thirsty, Ever drinking. Clad in mail, Never clinking. Drowns on dry land. Thinks an island, Is a mountain. Thinks a fountain, Is a puff of air. What am I?
Alive without breath. As cold as death. Never thirsty, Ever drinking. Clad in mail, Never clinking. Drowns on dry land. Thinks an island, Is a mountain. Thinks a fountain, Is a puff of air. What am I?
Hint:
Eskimo Cow Riddle
Hint:
Snowman And A Shark Riddle
Hint:
Snowman Party Riddle
Hint:
Snowman Lunch Riddle
Hint:
Snow Heads Riddle
Hint:
Old Snowman Riddle
Hint:
Snowmen Food Riddle
Hint:
Unusual Gatsby Riddle
The paragraph below is very unusual. How quickly can you find out what is so unusual about it?
"Gatsby was walking back from a visit down in Branton Hill's manufacturing district on a Saturday night. A busy day's traffic had its noisy run; and with not many folks in sight, His Honor got along without having to stop to grasp a hand, or talk; for a mayor out of City Hall is a shining mark for any politician. And so, coming to Broadway, a booming bass drum and sounds of singing, told of a small Salvation Army unit carrying on amidst Broadway's night shopping crowds. Gatsby, walking towards that group, saw a young girl, back toward him, just finishing a long, soulful oration ... "
"Gatsby was walking back from a visit down in Branton Hill's manufacturing district on a Saturday night. A busy day's traffic had its noisy run; and with not many folks in sight, His Honor got along without having to stop to grasp a hand, or talk; for a mayor out of City Hall is a shining mark for any politician. And so, coming to Broadway, a booming bass drum and sounds of singing, told of a small Salvation Army unit carrying on amidst Broadway's night shopping crowds. Gatsby, walking towards that group, saw a young girl, back toward him, just finishing a long, soulful oration ... "
Hint:
Letter "E" is the most commonly used letter in English language, yet in the whole passage, there is no "E" used. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
The One Story House Riddle
A drunk man came home riding in his car at night. Got to his home walked up the stairs in his one story house and turned off the light and fell asleep. When he woke up the next day he looked out the only window in the house and he saw something that scared him to death.
What scared him to death and how can he walk up on stairs in a one story house?
What scared him to death and how can he walk up on stairs in a one story house?
Hint:
How he can walk up stairs in a one story house is that he lived in a lighthouse and when he turned the only light off in the lighthouse all the boats crashed on the shore and he saw a boat coming toward him Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Dancing Snowman Riddle
Hint:
Add Your Riddle Here
Have some tricky riddles of your own? Leave them below for our users to try and solve.