Random Puzzles 

Workings

Hint

Answer
87912.

Workings

Hint
Does the number of adults and children matter?

Answer
3,672.

Reasoning
The actual number of adults and children doesn't actually matter.

If all of the people were adults, then half of them (306) would be given 12 sweets:

  306 x 12 = 3672

If all of the people were children, then three quarters of them (459) would be given 8 sweets:

  459 x  8 = 3672

If there were 512 adults (so 256 would get 12 sweets = 3072) and 100 children (so 75 would get 8 sweets = 600):

  256 x 12 + 75 x 8 = 3672

We can change the numbers of adults and children, but it doesn't change the answer.

The reason for this lies in the fact that ¹/₂ adults x 12 sweets = ³/₄ children x 8 sweets (both are 6).

Workings

Hint
What could we do with the digits?

Answer
If the sum of the digits is divisible by nine, so is the number.

Add up all of the digits in the number and see if the sum is divisible by 9. If you still can't tell, you can add those digits again to see if the new sum is divisible by 9. You can keep going until you the sum is obviously divisible by 9 or not.

For example, is 486451464 divisible by 9?

Do 4 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 5 + 1 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 42.

Is 42 divisible by 9? Not sure, you can then do:

4 + 2 = 6. Which clearly isn't divisible by 9. So our original number, 486451464, isn't either.

Workings

Hint
The country spans more than one word.

Answer
Guinea.

During the recent BrainBashers aquatic contest, the walrus struggled to finish, the sea lion finished second, and the penGUIN EAsily won!