Puzzle 1
Alex can eat 27 chocolates in an hour, Billie can eat 2 chocolates in 10 minutes, and Charlie can eat 7 chocolates in 20 minutes.
How long will it take them to share and eat a large box of 120 chocolates while watching a movie?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
How many chocolates can they eat in one hour?
Answer
2 hours.
Reasoning
In one hour, Alex eats 27 chocolates, Billie eats 12, and Charlie eats 21.
A total of 60 chocolates.
Therefore, 120 chocolates would take 2 hours.
Puzzle 2
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 3
What number completes this sequence:
4 · 15 · 14 · 11 · 5 · ?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Think of the alphabet.
Answer
25 for Y.
These are the positions of the letters of the alphabet, and they are spelling Donkey.
Puzzle 4
What shape completes the bottom line?
triangle pentagon square
square hexagon hexagon square
pentagon hexagon hexagon hexagon square triangle
hexagon octagon octagon octagon octagon ?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Look at the number of sides of each of the shapes.
Answer
Square.
Reasoning
If we add the shape's sides, the total increases by 8, then 10, then 12, etc (2 more each time).
triangle (3) + pentagon (5) + square (4) = 12
square (4) + hexagon (6) + hexagon (6) + square (4) = 20
pentagon (5) + hexagon (6) + hexagon (6) + hexagon (6) + square (4) + triangle (3) = 30
Therefore:
hexagon (6) + octagon (8) + octagon (8) + octagon (8) + octagon (8) + square (4) = 42
Alternative Reasoning
Square the first shape's sides, and the remaining shapes add up to this number.
triangle (3 x 3) = pentagon (5) + square (4)
square (4 x 4) = hexagon (6) + hexagon (6) + square (4)
pentagon (5 x 5) = hexagon (6) + hexagon (6) + hexagon (6) + square (4) + triangle (3)
Therefore:
hexagon (6 x 6) = octagon (8) + octagon (8) + octagon (8) + octagon (8) + square (4)
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