Puzzle 5
Starting with WARM, change one letter at a time, and end with COOL?
Each change leaves the other letters in their original places and must result in a proper word.
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Hint
One answer changes Warm to Worm.
Answer
WARM, WORM, WORK, CORK, COOK, COOL
or
WARM, WORM, WORD, WOOD, WOOL, COOL.
Puzzle 6
Starting with COLD, change one letter at a time until you have the word WARM.
Each change leaves the other letters in their original places and must result in a common word.
What is the minimum number of steps required to achieve this change?
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Hint
The second word is CORD.
Answer
COLD, CORD, WORD, WARD, WARM
or
COLD, CORD, WORD, WORM, WARM
or
COLD, CORD, CARD, WARD, WARM.
Puzzle 7
Below are ten everyday words, each of which has had some letters removed. The letters removed form either a boy's or a girl's name.
For example, if the word was PAN---IME, the answer might be PANTOM IME. Can you determine the original words?
demi----
---ple
absor---t
he---che
sc----r
----ionaire
break---ce
monog---
-----incense
s---ly
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
One of the names is MEL.
Answer
demi---- + john = demijohn
---ple + sam = sam ple
absor---t + ben = absorben t
he---che + ada = heada che
sc----r + anne = scanne r
----ionaire + bill = bill ionaire
break---ce + dan = breakdan ce
monog--- + amy = monogamy
-----incense + frank = frank incense
s---ly + mel = smel ly
Puzzle 8
Can you find three consecutive odd numbers that …
… total 7,644,585 when multiplied together?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Try starting with the cube root of the number.
Answer
195 x 197 x 199.
Reasoning
Since we're after three numbers that multiply together, a good place to start is the cube root of 7,644,585, which is roughly 196.99.
Let's try dividing by the closest odd number to 196.99:
7644585 ÷ 197 = 38805
We're now after whole divisors of 38,805, so trying either odd number either side of 197 might work.
Trying either 195 or 199 gives the answer.
Double-Checking
195 x 197 x 199 = 7,644,585
Note
Trying the closest odd number to the cube root always works, and the other two numbers are the odd numbers either side.
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