Puzzle 466
Can you find a five-digit number that …
… if you place a 9 at the beginning is four times larger than if you place a 9 at the end instead?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Adding 900,000 to the numbner is the same as placing a 9 at the beginning.
Answer
23,076.
Reasoning
Placing the 9 at the beginning is equivalent to adding 900,000 (for example, 12,345 + 900,000 becomes 912,345).
Placing the 9 at the end is equivalent to multiplying by 10 and adding 9 (for example, 12,345 x 10 + 9 becomes 123,459).
Let's call the unknown number k, and we know that one of these numbers is 4 times the other, so:
k + 900,000 = 4 x (10k + 9)
k + 900,000 = 40k + 36
900,000 − 36 = 40k − k
899,964 = 39k
899,964 ÷ 39 = k
Therefore, k = 23,076.
Double-Checking
923,076 = 4 x 230,769.
Puzzle 467
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 468
Which word is the odd one out:
ceelry caorrt caabbeg caefilloruw caehikort
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The words are all vegetables.
Answer
Caehikort, which is an anagram of artichoke.
The others all begin with the letter C: celery, carrot, cabbage, and cauliflower.