Puzzle 145
Can you find a five-digit number …
… whose digits add up to 18 and whose product is 210 and the digits increase from left to right in the number?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Break down 210 into its factors.
Answer
12357.
Reasoning
Since 210 = 2 x 3 x 5 x 7, 12357 is the only way to get a 5-digit number, in ascending order.
Puzzle 146
If I buy a melon and a coconut, the cost will be £1.19.
If I buy a melon and a pineapple, the cost will be £1.45.
If I buy a coconut and a pineapple, the cost will be £1.40.
What are the individual prices?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
A little algebra might help.
Answer
Pineapple = 83p, coconut = 57p, melon = 62p.
Reasoning
If we assign the letters P, C and M to the fruits, and work in pence we have:
(1) M + C = 119
(2) M + P = 145
(3) C + P = 140
Using (2) – (1) we have:
(4) P – C = 26
And (3) + (4) gives:
2P = 166
P = 83
This can then be substituted back into (2) and (3).
Puzzle 147
This equation contains the numbers 1-8.
Can you complete it?
6.
.. x
————
....
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The answer begins with 3.
Answer
64 x 58 = 3712.
Reasoning
Since no digit is duplicated, neither number can end in 1, otherwise, the last digit of the answer would already have been used.
Neither number can end in 5 because the answer would then end in 5 or 0.
So the first number can only be 62, 63, 64, 67, or 68.
We can now look at what the second number can end with, and we find that …
if the first number was 62, the second number can only end in 4 or 7.
Why …
not 1 as previously explained
not 2 because we've already used that in the 62
not 3 because 62 x *3 would end in 6, which is already in the 62
not 5 as previously explained
not 6 because we've already used that in the 62
not 8 because 62 x *8 would end in 6, which is already in the 62
We can repeat this for the other possible first numbers and find that …
if the first number was 62, the second number can only end in 4 or 7.
if the first number was 63, the second number can only end in 4, 7, or 8.
if the first number was 64, the second number can only end in 2, 3, 7, or 8.
if the first number was 67, the second number can only end in 2, 3, or 4.
if the first number was 68, the second number can only end in 3 or 4.
Let's check these in turn …
If the first number was 62, the only possible values are:
62 x 14 = 868
62 x 34 = 2108
62 x 54 = 3348
62 x 74 = 4588
or
62 x 17 = 1054
62 x 37 = 2294
62 x 57 = 3534
62 x 87 = 5394
Only 4 calculations are required for each option, as we didn't need to check 62 x 84 as we already know that the answer would end in 8, or 62 x 47 as we already know that the answer would end in 4.
All of these answers fail as they don't contain all of the digits.
Similarly, we can look at 63, then 64, etc. For each of the numbers, we have to check the possible endings, but in each case, only 4 calculations are required (as seen in the examples above).
We (quickly?) find 64 x 58 = 3712.
Puzzle 148
Can you find a number …
… whose double exceeds its quarter by 7.
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The number is less than 100.
Answer
4.
4's double is 8, and 4's quarter is 1.
Reasoning
If the missing number is N, then:
2N = N + 7
—
4
Multiply throughout by 4:
8N = N + 28
Subtract N from both sides:
7N = 28
Divide throughout by 7:
N = 4
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