Each month, a new set of puzzles will be posted. Come back next month for the solutions and a new set of puzzles, or subscribe to have them sent directly to you.
Puzzle One
Two trains are heading toward each other. The first train is traveling at 60 mph and the second train is traveling at 40 mph. The distance between the two trains is 500 miles. If they started at the same time, how long will it take before they collide?
Puzzle Two
If the third term of an arithmetic sequence is 15 and the eighth term is 40, what is the 20th term?
Puzzle Three
The sum of two numbers is 25. If three times the first number is subtracted from twice the second number, the result is 7. What are the two numbers?
Puzzle Four
Find the numerical equivalent for the following alphameric expressions to satisfy the equations below:
- XYZ + XZY = ZYX
- EAT + THAT = APPLE
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Last month's solutions
Puzzle One
Six tigers can catch just six rabbits in six minutes. So how many tigers will be needed to catch sixty rabbits in sixty minutes?
Solution: 1 tiger can catch 1 rabbit in 6 minutes. Then in 60 minutes, each tiger can catch 10 rabbits. Then, if this is so, 6 tigers can catch 60 rabbits in 60 minutes.
Puzzle Two
A wizard was on the way to his house and a few drops from his magic potion fell on to a plant. Now, the plant will double its size every day. It is growing in a circular pond with a circumference of 600 meters. The plant-covered half the pond in 28 days, how many days would it take to cover the full pond?
Solution: If the plant doubles in size every day and the plant covers half the pond in 28 days, then it would completely cover the full pond in 29 days.
Puzzle Three
If 1=5,
2=25,
3=325,
4=4325,
5=?
Solution: You might immediately think the answer might be 54325. However, the answer is 1. The first line is 1=5 and that means 5 is also equal to one.
Puzzle Four
Take your favourite number, add this number to itself, then multiply the sum by 4, and finally divide the results by the sum of 3 and 5. What number do you finally get and why?
Solution: Assume your favourite number is 123. Then, (123 + 123) x 4 / (3 + 5) = 123
Why, any number x 8/8 = same number