Fun Facts (Hints)
Different types of riddles have challenged people for centuries, here are a few facts about them that may give you some hints in solving these challenging questions:
Riddles in math are used by math teachers in many different cultures.
Many teachers promote the idea that giving students mathematical riddles helps to encourage their pupils to think more creatively and strategically.
These riddles are considered especially helpful in classrooms where students have emotional problems, as it pulls them away from their problems, and forces them to think creatively about what is before them.
Detectives are sometimes forced to solve riddles involving math when searching for psychopaths and serial killers.
Math riddles are used at home by many parents seeking to help their students become more engaged in their math schoolwork/homework.
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Riddles and Answers © 2024
The Broken Grandfather Clock
A grandfather has a broken grandfather clock that is off by a minute every hour (too fast). He figures out a way, while keeping it running at the same rate, to make the clock say the correct time twice a day.
How could he do this?
How could he do this?
Hint:
1 Year Of Chickens
There are five hen and rooster pairs. Each pair has one baby every month.
How many chickens will there be in one year?
How many chickens will there be in one year?
Hint:
It is impossible to know because the chicken's babies could also have babies during this time.
Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Which Is Correct?
Hint: What is 9 plus 5?
A Nose That Grows
Every time a man lies his nose grows to 150 percent of its size. Every time he tells the truth it shrinks to 50 percent of its size.
What will happen if he alternates between lies and the truth
What will happen if he alternates between lies and the truth
Hint:
For every pair of a truth and a lie his nose will shrink to 75 percent of its previous size prior to this truth and lie. So the correct answer is 0. As the number of times he tells a lie and the truth ((3/4)n) approaches infinity the length of his nose approaches 0. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
How Many Times A Day?
Hint:
22 times: 12:00:00, 1:05:27, 2:10:55, 3:16:22, 4:21:49, 5:27:16, 6:32:44, 7:38:11, 8:43:38, 9:49:05, 10:54:33. Each twice a day. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
A Knight To The Rescue
A knight comes to a castle where his love is trapped. The castle is surrounded by a square moat that is 10 feet wide (it forms a square around the castle). The knight is able to fashion two 9 foot long planks to cross the moat.
How can he do this?
How can he do this?
Hint:
He puts one plank across the corner of the square (where two sides meet) and puts the other perpendicular to it to form a 'T' shape in the corner allowing him to cross the moat and save his beloved. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
How Many Batteries?
You have a flashlight that takes 2 working batteries. You have 8 batteries but only 4 of them work.
What is the fewest number of pairs you need to test to guarantee you can get the flashlight on?
What is the fewest number of pairs you need to test to guarantee you can get the flashlight on?
Hint:
7. If you break the batteries into 3 groups: Two groups of 3 and one group of 2. By doing this you guarantee that one of the groups has 2 working batteries. Both of the groups of 3 have 3 possible combinations of 2 batteries and the group of 2 only has 1 combination. So, 3 + 3 + 1 = 7 tries at most to find two working batteries. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Brownie Currency
You're going to a friends house and want to give them some brownies. On the way to their house you cross 5 bridges. At each bridge you must pay a toll of half of your brownies to the owner. But they are all very nice and give you back a brownie from what you give them.
How many brownies must you start with to give your friend 2 brownies?
How many brownies must you start with to give your friend 2 brownies?
Hint:
Just 2.
Each time you give the owner of a bridge half of your brownies (1 brownie) they give you one back as well. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Each time you give the owner of a bridge half of your brownies (1 brownie) they give you one back as well. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Find That Tennis Ball
You have 7 tennis balls that are all identical but one of them is slightly lighter than the others.
Using a balance scale and only two separate weightings, how can you find the light tennis ball?
Using a balance scale and only two separate weightings, how can you find the light tennis ball?
Hint:
Put three of the balls on each side. If they are even the ball that wasn't weighed is the light one. If they aren't even the side that is lighter has the light ball. Of these three balls, one should be put on each side. If the sides are even than the other ball is the light one. If they aren't even the one that is lighter is the ball you're looking for. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
The Same Birthday
How many people do you need to have the odds be in favor (at least 50% chance) of two people having the same birthday?
Hint:
Chess Board
You have an 8 by 8 chess board that has two corner squares diagonal from each other removed. Is there any way to place 31 dominoes of size 2x1 to cover the remaining 62 spaces?
Hint:
No. When you remove the two diagonal spaces from the chess board they are both black or both white, making it so that there are two more of the other color. Each domino would cover 1 black and 1 white space. So 31 of them would have to cover 31 white spaces and 31 black spaces but with the corners removed there are 30 of one color and 32 of the other. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
How Many People?
Hint:
9. Two twins are 2 people, three triplets are 3 people, and four quadruplets are 4 people. 2 + 3 + 4 = 9. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Toasting Toast
Jasmine has a toaster with two slots that toasts one side of each piece of bread at a time, and it takes one minute to do so.
If she wants to make 3 pieces of toast, what is the least amount of time she needs to toast them on both sides?
If she wants to make 3 pieces of toast, what is the least amount of time she needs to toast them on both sides?
Hint:
3 minutes. She puts two pieces in the toaster, toasting one side of each. Then she flips one of them, takes one out, and puts the completely untoasted piece into the toaster. Finally, she takes out the toasted piece and puts the two half-toasted pieces of bread into the toaster for a minute and she's done. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
How Many Pieces Of Chicken?
A fast food restaurant sells chicken in orders of 6, 9, and 20.
What is the largest number of pieces of chicken you cannot order from this restaurant?
What is the largest number of pieces of chicken you cannot order from this restaurant?
Hint:
After 6 all numbers divisible by 3 can be ordered (because they can all be expressed as a sum of 6's and 9's). After 26, all numbers divisible by three when subtracted by 20 can be obtained. After 46, all numbers divisible by three when subtracted by 40 can be obtained. After 46, all numbers fit into one of these 3 categories, so all numbers can be obtained. 43 is the last number that doesn't fall into one of these categories (44 = 20 + 6 * 4, 45 = 6 * 6 + 9). Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Math Class
Nathan has math 4 times a week. If he has math 8:00 Monday, 9:20 on Tuesday, 10:40 on Wednesday, and 1:20 on Friday, when does Nathan have math on Thursday?
Hint:
Post Your Math Riddles Puns Below
Can you come up with a cool, funny or clever Math Riddles of your own? Post it below (without the answer) to see if you can stump our users.
1. Why was the math book sad? Because it had too many problems.
2. Why don’t mathematicians sunbathe at the beach? Because they use imaginary numbers.
3. What did the math teacher say to her students on Valentine’s Day? "Let’s make some propositions!"
4. Why do math teachers love geometry? Because it’s plane fun.
5. Why was six afraid of seven? Because seven eight nine.
6. Why do mathematicians love parks? Because of all the natural logarithms.
7. What’s the best way to impress a math teacher? Multiply yourself and add your standard deviation.
8. What do you get when you cross a math teacher and a clock? Time tables.
9. How can you tell if a math teacher is hungry? They start talking about Pie.
10. Did you hear about the math expert who’s afraid of negative numbers? He will stop at nothing to avoid them.
11. How do construction workers do math? With a calculator-i!
12. What do you get when you cross a math teacher and a train? A geometric progression.
13. Why do math teachers love chicken? Because it’s a good source of pi protein.
14. What did the calculus teacher say to her students who were failing? "Don’t integrate yourself into a problem that you can’t differentiate your way out of."
15. Why was the math book sad after prom? All its angles were acute, and the book felt so…almost right-angled.
16. What did the math teacher say to his students who were having trouble understanding fractions? "The key to understanding fractions is to pick up the pieces."
17. Why was the geometry class always tired? Because they were constantly finding the hypotenuse.
18. What is the plural of "summit"? Math teachers would tell you it’s "summation."
19. What do you say when you see a math teacher eating a sandwich? Square root of ‘yum’?
20. What do you call a number that can’t keep still? A roamin’ numeral!
21. Why did the math professor take out a loan? To sine on the dotted line.
22. Why couldn’t the bicycle stand up by itself? Because it was two-tired!
23. Why did the math student fail his exam? He couldn’t solve any of the problems on the standard deviation curve.
24. Why was the math book so tense? Because it had too many problems to solve.
25. Why do mathematicians like stories? Because they always have a good plot and sets of numbers.
26. Why did the math teacher go to the circus? To see the math-tractions!
27. Why don’t mathematicians ride motorcycles? They don’t like to take chances with angles.
28. What’s a math teacher’s favorite day of the week? Pi Day!
29. What do you call the number 7 and the number 3 when they go on a date? A product of their times.
30. Why did the math teacher cross the road? To get to the calculator on the other side.
31. Why was the math book so afraid of the circle? Because it was perfectly round.
32. What do you call a group of math teachers? Geometree.
33. Why was the math student’s dream so vivid? Because it was linear.
34. Why do mathematicians like nature? Because it’s full of exponential growth.
35. What do you call a math teacher who teaches addition? A sum-thing genius.
36. Why was the calculator feeling sad? Because it had no friends to divide by.
37. Why did the math teacher go to the beach? To catch some rays.
38. What do you call a math teacher who knows how to party? The Calculus of Fun.
39. Why can’t a bike stand up by itself? Because it’s two-tired!
40. What do you call a number that can keep a secret? A cryptonumber!
41. Why did the math book get a detention? It couldn’t keep its digits to itself.
42. How can you tell if a math teacher is happy? They’re always positively charged.
43. What do you call a mathematician who’s always cold? An absolute zero.
44. Why can’t a pirate do math? He always forgets the Aye on Pi-Day.
45. What do you get when you cross a math teacher and an elephant? Trunkated numbers.
46. Why did the math teacher need a ladder? To find the square root of the roof.
47. What do you call a math teacher who loves puns? A funny-tioning.
48. What did the right triangle say to the isosceles triangle? "You’re so acute!"
49. What did the math teacher say when her student got a C+? "You’ll do better next time, don’t be so negative."
50. Why do math teachers hate fractions? Because they’re always getting mixed up.
1. Why was the math book sad? Because it had too many problems.
2. Why don’t mathematicians sunbathe at the beach? Because they use imaginary numbers.
3. What did the math teacher say to her students on Valentine’s Day? "Let’s make some propositions!"
4. Why do math teachers love geometry? Because it’s plane fun.
5. Why was six afraid of seven? Because seven eight nine.
6. Why do mathematicians love parks? Because of all the natural logarithms.
7. What’s the best way to impress a math teacher? Multiply yourself and add your standard deviation.
8. What do you get when you cross a math teacher and a clock? Time tables.
9. How can you tell if a math teacher is hungry? They start talking about Pie.
10. Did you hear about the math expert who’s afraid of negative numbers? He will stop at nothing to avoid them.
11. How do construction workers do math? With a calculator-i!
12. What do you get when you cross a math teacher and a train? A geometric progression.
13. Why do math teachers love chicken? Because it’s a good source of pi protein.
14. What did the calculus teacher say to her students who were failing? "Don’t integrate yourself into a problem that you can’t differentiate your way out of."
15. Why was the math book sad after prom? All its angles were acute, and the book felt so…almost right-angled.
16. What did the math teacher say to his students who were having trouble understanding fractions? "The key to understanding fractions is to pick up the pieces."
17. Why was the geometry class always tired? Because they were constantly finding the hypotenuse.
18. What is the plural of "summit"? Math teachers would tell you it’s "summation."
19. What do you say when you see a math teacher eating a sandwich? Square root of ‘yum’?
20. What do you call a number that can’t keep still? A roamin’ numeral!
21. Why did the math professor take out a loan? To sine on the dotted line.
22. Why couldn’t the bicycle stand up by itself? Because it was two-tired!
23. Why did the math student fail his exam? He couldn’t solve any of the problems on the standard deviation curve.
24. Why was the math book so tense? Because it had too many problems to solve.
25. Why do mathematicians like stories? Because they always have a good plot and sets of numbers.
26. Why did the math teacher go to the circus? To see the math-tractions!
27. Why don’t mathematicians ride motorcycles? They don’t like to take chances with angles.
28. What’s a math teacher’s favorite day of the week? Pi Day!
29. What do you call the number 7 and the number 3 when they go on a date? A product of their times.
30. Why did the math teacher cross the road? To get to the calculator on the other side.
31. Why was the math book so afraid of the circle? Because it was perfectly round.
32. What do you call a group of math teachers? Geometree.
33. Why was the math student’s dream so vivid? Because it was linear.
34. Why do mathematicians like nature? Because it’s full of exponential growth.
35. What do you call a math teacher who teaches addition? A sum-thing genius.
36. Why was the calculator feeling sad? Because it had no friends to divide by.
37. Why did the math teacher go to the beach? To catch some rays.
38. What do you call a math teacher who knows how to party? The Calculus of Fun.
39. Why can’t a bike stand up by itself? Because it’s two-tired!
40. What do you call a number that can keep a secret? A cryptonumber!
41. Why did the math book get a detention? It couldn’t keep its digits to itself.
42. How can you tell if a math teacher is happy? They’re always positively charged.
43. What do you call a mathematician who’s always cold? An absolute zero.
44. Why can’t a pirate do math? He always forgets the Aye on Pi-Day.
45. What do you get when you cross a math teacher and an elephant? Trunkated numbers.
46. Why did the math teacher need a ladder? To find the square root of the roof.
47. What do you call a math teacher who loves puns? A funny-tioning.
48. What did the right triangle say to the isosceles triangle? "You’re so acute!"
49. What did the math teacher say when her student got a C+? "You’ll do better next time, don’t be so negative."
50. Why do math teachers hate fractions? Because they’re always getting mixed up.