Puzzle 1
Can you complete this grid of letters. Each line is a valid 5-letter word with its first and last letter missing.
The missing letters form a word when read downwards, and the same word appears both at the start and at the end.
What is the missing word?
L
U
R
A
D
A
A
G
L
L
P
H
R
U
I
Note: this puzzle is not interactive, and the squares cannot be clicked.
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The missing word ends with the letter D.
Answer
The missing word is BREAD.
B
L
U
R
B
R
A
D
A
R
E
A
G
L
E
A
L
P
H
A
D
R
U
I
D
Puzzle 2
If I give you seven apples, you will then have five times as many as I would then have.
However, if you give me seven apples, we will then both have the same number of apples.
How many apples do I currently have?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
A little algebra might help.
Answer
I have 14 apples, and you have 28 apples.
Reasoning
We can work this out with a little algebra. I have A apples, and you have B apples, then
[1] 5 x (A − 7) = B + 7
[2] A + 7 = B − 7
From [1] we have:
5A − 35 = B + 7
[3] 5A = B + 42
From [2] we have:
[4] A + 14 = B
We can then use [4] in [3] to give:
5A = (A + 14) + 42
5A = A + 56
4A = 56
A = 14
Which gives B = 28 (by [4]).
Puzzle 4
Take a normal piece of paper, exactly 0.1 mm thick.
Fold it in half, and then in half again, and again, and again.
Do this a total of 50 times.
How thick would the final paper be (if this could be done)?
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Hint
We'll assume that we can actually fold it this many times.
Answer
Very thick indeed! The paper doubles in thickness with each fold. If we could fold it 50 times, it would be around 70 million miles thick!
1 fold would be 0.1 + 0.1 = 0.1 x 2 ^ 1 = 0.2 mm
2 folds would be 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 0.1 x 2 ^ 2 = 0.4 mm
.
.
.
.
10 folds would be 0.1 x 2 ^ 10 = 102.4 mm
.
.
.
50 folds would be 0.1 x 2 ^ 50 = 112,589,990,684,262.4 mm = 112,589,990.7 km (around 70 million miles).
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