Four Balls In A Bowl
This is a famous paradox probability riddle which has caused a great deal of argument and disbelief from many who cannot accept the correct answer.
Four balls are placed in a bowl. One is Green, one is Black and the other two are Yellow. The bowl is shaken and someone draws two balls from the bowl. He looks at the two balls and announces that at least one of them is Yellow. What are the chances that the other ball he has drawn out is also Yellow?
Four balls are placed in a bowl. One is Green, one is Black and the other two are Yellow. The bowl is shaken and someone draws two balls from the bowl. He looks at the two balls and announces that at least one of them is Yellow. What are the chances that the other ball he has drawn out is also Yellow?
Hint:
1/5
There are six possible pairings of the two balls withdrawn,
Yellow+Yellow
Yellow+Green
Green+Yellow
Yellow+Black
Black+Yellow
Green+Black.
We know the Green + Black combination has not been drawn.
This leaves five possible combinations remaining. Therefore the chances tbowl the Yellow + Yellow pairing has been drawn are 1 in 5.
Many people cannot accept tbowl the solution is not 1 in 3, and of course it would be, if the balls had been drawn out separately and the color of the first ball announced as Yellow before the second had been drawn out. However, as both balls had been drawn together, and then the color of one of the balls announced, then the above solution, 1 in 5, must be the correct one. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
There are six possible pairings of the two balls withdrawn,
Yellow+Yellow
Yellow+Green
Green+Yellow
Yellow+Black
Black+Yellow
Green+Black.
We know the Green + Black combination has not been drawn.
This leaves five possible combinations remaining. Therefore the chances tbowl the Yellow + Yellow pairing has been drawn are 1 in 5.
Many people cannot accept tbowl the solution is not 1 in 3, and of course it would be, if the balls had been drawn out separately and the color of the first ball announced as Yellow before the second had been drawn out. However, as both balls had been drawn together, and then the color of one of the balls announced, then the above solution, 1 in 5, must be the correct one. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Knights Of The Round Table Riddle
King Arthur, Merlin, Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, and Guinevere decide to go to their favorite restaurant to share some mead and grilled meats. They sit down at a round table for five, and as soon as they do, Lancelot notes, "We sat down around the table in age order! What are the odds of that?"
Merlin smiles broadly. "This is easily solved without any magic." He then shared the answer. What did he say the odds were?
Merlin smiles broadly. "This is easily solved without any magic." He then shared the answer. What did he say the odds were?
Hint: Does it matter if they are sitting clockwise or counterclockwise? Or where the oldest sits?
The odds are 11:1. (The probability is 1/12.)
Imagine they sat down in age order, with each person randomly picking a seat. The first person is guaranteed to pick a seat that "works". The second oldest can sit to his right or left, since these five can sit either clockwise or counterclockwise. The probability of picking a seat that works is thus 2/4, or 1/2. The third oldest now has three chairs to choose from, one of which continues the progression in the order determined by the second person, for a probability of 1/3. This leaves two seats for the fourth oldest, or a 1/2 chance. The youngest would thus be guaranteed to sit in the right seat, since there is only one seat left. This gives 1 * 1/2 * 1/3 * 1/2 * 1 = 1/12, or 11:1 odds against. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Imagine they sat down in age order, with each person randomly picking a seat. The first person is guaranteed to pick a seat that "works". The second oldest can sit to his right or left, since these five can sit either clockwise or counterclockwise. The probability of picking a seat that works is thus 2/4, or 1/2. The third oldest now has three chairs to choose from, one of which continues the progression in the order determined by the second person, for a probability of 1/3. This leaves two seats for the fourth oldest, or a 1/2 chance. The youngest would thus be guaranteed to sit in the right seat, since there is only one seat left. This gives 1 * 1/2 * 1/3 * 1/2 * 1 = 1/12, or 11:1 odds against. 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 Cheap Mp3 Player
My MP3 player is cheap 'n' nasty and has now broken: it is stuck on 'Shuffle'. In this mode it starts with whatever track you put it on, but then plays tracks in a random order. The only restriction is it never plays a song that's already been played that day.
I purchased my favourite murder mystery book in audio format, and put the first 6 chapters on my MP3 player. (Each chapter is exactly 1 track.) There's nothing else on my player at the moment. What is the probability that I will hear the 6 chapters in order as I listen today, without having to change tracks at all? (Obviously, I will ensure it plays chapter 1 first.)
The next day I empty the player before putting on the next 6 chapters. This time I also transfer a CD of mine with 11 songs on. I don't mind songs coming in between the chapters of my book, as long as the chapters are in order. What's the probability of that happening now?
I purchased my favourite murder mystery book in audio format, and put the first 6 chapters on my MP3 player. (Each chapter is exactly 1 track.) There's nothing else on my player at the moment. What is the probability that I will hear the 6 chapters in order as I listen today, without having to change tracks at all? (Obviously, I will ensure it plays chapter 1 first.)
The next day I empty the player before putting on the next 6 chapters. This time I also transfer a CD of mine with 11 songs on. I don't mind songs coming in between the chapters of my book, as long as the chapters are in order. What's the probability of that happening now?
Hint:
With only 6 tracks on the player:
The first chapter has been set to play first. The probability of the next 5 chapters playing in order is 1/5! = 1/120.
With the music on the player as well:
Seeing as I don't care about when the music plays, it doesn't change anything. The answer is still 1/120. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The first chapter has been set to play first. The probability of the next 5 chapters playing in order is 1/5! = 1/120.
With the music on the player as well:
Seeing as I don't care about when the music plays, it doesn't change anything. The answer is still 1/120. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
A Fathers Murder
A man goes to his mother funeral, there, he meets a woman. They go out and the part there separate ways. The man forgets to get the woman's phone number. Three days later he kills his Father...Why?
Hint:
So the woman would go to his father's funeral and he can get her number this time....98% of people who got this right turned out to be serial killers... Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
On Display In December
I have numbers on me but Im not a phone
I have several doors but Im not a car
Im on display in December but Im not a nativity scene
Im not seen after Christmas Day but Im not a cookie for Santa
I often contain chocolate but Im not an Easter egg
What am I?
I have several doors but Im not a car
Im on display in December but Im not a nativity scene
Im not seen after Christmas Day but Im not a cookie for Santa
I often contain chocolate but Im not an Easter egg
What am I?
Hint:
Crossing Safety Riddle
Two boys and a man need to cross a river. They can only use the canoe. It will hold only the man OR the two boys' weight. How can they all get across safely?
Answer:
Answer:
Hint:
The two boys go across. One of them get out. The other one goes back. He gets out and the man gets in. He goes across. Then the man gets out and the other boy gets in and goes across. Then the boy that was left gets in and now they both go across together. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
An Island That Has 3 Gods
There is an Island that has 3 gods. One god always tells a lie, and the other always tells the truth. The third god has a random behavior. To top it off, these three gods, being jerks, answer in their own languages such that you are unable to tell which word, between "ja" or "da", means "no" or "yes". You have 3 questions to work out the True god, the false god, and the Random god.
Hint:
Question 1: (To any of the three gods) If I were to ask you "Is that the random god," would your answer be "ja?" (This questions, no matter the answer, will enable you to tell which god is not random i.e. the god who is either False or True)
Question 2: (To either the True or False god) If I asked you "are you false," would your answer be "ja?"
Question 3: (To the same god you asked the second question) If I asked you "whether the first god I spoke to is random," would your answer be "ja?" Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Question 2: (To either the True or False god) If I asked you "are you false," would your answer be "ja?"
Question 3: (To the same god you asked the second question) If I asked you "whether the first god I spoke to is random," would your answer be "ja?" Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Two Brothers Riddle
Two brothers we are, great burdens we bear,
All day we are bitterly pressed;
Yet this we will say, we are full all the day
And empty when we go to rest.
What are we?
All day we are bitterly pressed;
Yet this we will say, we are full all the day
And empty when we go to rest.
What are we?
Hint: Your burdens are also our burdens, but greater by the measure of you.
The Worst Thing That Can Happen To A Geography Teacher Riddle
Hint:
Never Asks Questions Riddle
Hint:
Boogers And Broccoli Riddle
Hint:
A Frog's Favorite Flower
Hint:
Middle Ages Riddle
Hint:
Kidnapping The Queens Son
The Queen lives in a beautiful castle with her only son and a sheep-dog named Sir FooFoo. One day the Queen decides to go out for a spot of tea with some friends. She leaves her eight-year-old son in the care of her trusted servants. The 18 servants are: Harold the health instructor, Griffith the gardener, Tiffany the private tutor, Philip the photographer, Magdalina the maid, Boris the Butler, Geraldo the groundskeeper, Bernadette the barber, Sandy the sweeper, Anastasia the accountant, Constantine the carpenter, Joel the jester, Lucy the launderer, Sadie the seamstress, McKenzie the musical instructor, Lawrence the lawyer, Dorothy the dentist, Devon the doctor, and Surlamina the Secretary of State. When the Queen came home she discovered her son was missing and that he was kidnapped. The Queen came to a conclusion that it must've been one of her servants who kidnapped her son because he was too young to leave on his own and Sir FooFoo was harmless. The Queen interviewed all of her servants to see which one was responsible for the kidnapping. The alibis are as follows: Harold was lifting weights, Griffith was planting roses, Tiffany was checking homework, Philip was taking pictures of the botanical garden, Magdalina was making the beds, Boris was cleaning the banisters, Geraldo was supervising Griffith , Bernadette was trimming Sir FooFoo's hair, Sandy was sweeping in the corners, Anastasia was managing the Queen's affairs, Constantine was building a birdhouse, Joel was coming up with the jokes, Lucy was doing the laundry, Sadie was designing a dress for the Queen, McKenzie was playing the flute, Lawrence was suing the bank, Dorothy was preparing to extract the Queen's tooth when the Queen came home, Devon was examining an x-ray of the Queen's arm, and Surlamina was being a Secretary of State.
Who is the kidnapper?
Who is the kidnapper?
Hint:
Surlamina is responsible for the kidnapping because there is no Secretary of State in a monarchy. It is believed that Surlamina kidnapped the Queen's son because she was not given a real job. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
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