05/01/2014 - 12th Day (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

Here's another classic puzzle that we've yet to look at.

The Twelve Days of Christmas" is a cumulative song, meaning that each verse is built on top of the previous verses. There are twelve verses, each describing a gift given by "my true love" on one of the twelve days of Christmas.

...and so forth, until the last verse:

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..

12 Drummers Drumming

11 Pipers Piping

10 Lords-a-Leaping

9 Ladies Dancing

8 Maids-a-Milking

7 Swans-a-Swimming

6 Geese-a-Laying

5 Gold Rings

4 Colly Birds

3 French Hens

2 Turtle Doves

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

So, on the first day the true love gave 1 item (a Partridge in a Pear Tree).  On the second day he gave 3 items (2 Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree), summing to 4 items in total!

Puzzle

What is the total sum of all the gifts by the end of the twelfth day?

Check the solutions for the correct answer.

03/05/2013 - Triangles and Quadrilaterals (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

A slight change from our "how many triangles" puzzles!

Puzzle
How many triangles and quadrilaterals are there in the above shape.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

01/04/2013 - How Many Triangles 4 (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

Make sure you can clearly see the image shown above.

Puzzle
How many triangles are there in the shape shown above?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

25/03/2013 - When? 2 (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

Nine days ago, the day before yesterday was three weeks before a party.

Puzzle
If it is Sunday, what day of the week is the party on?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

21/03/2012 - Countdown (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description
Here in the UK there is a TV programme called "Countdown".  Countdown is primarily about creating words from randomly chosen letters, but there is a couple of rounds based around numeracy.  Basically the contestant picks a random set of numbers and using only the numbers a maximum of 1 time and the operations add, subtract, multiply and divide he has to make a total.

Sometimes these are hard to get...

Puzzle
Using the rules of Countdown outlined above to make 446 using the numbers 100, 6, 2, 8, 9 and 5.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

20/03/2013 - Dominoes 2 (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

Use above and imagine (or use) 4 dominoes labelled 6:6, 6:2, 2:5, 3:1, 1:5, 4:6, 5:6, 3:3 and 2:1.

Puzzle
Place the dominoes 6:6, 6:2, 2:5, 3:1, 1:5, 4:6, 5:6, 3:3 and 2:1, so that the correct numbers are covered by the dominoes.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

19/03/2013 - Alphamaths (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

 

Decription

1. A is one-third of C and one-quarter of G
2. G is ten lower than H
3. H is double the value of F, but four lower than B
4. B is six higher than D
5. D is double the value of E
6. the value of E is lower than G

Puzzle
From the following six clues, find the values of the letters A to H. Each letter contains a different whole number in the range 1-30.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

16/03/2013 - Sponsored Walk (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

Harry recently went on a Sponsored Walk to raise funds for new equipment at the local Hospital.  His sponsor form looked like this:

Sponsor's Name	Amount Per km	Total
Fat Freda	10p
Dim Jim	15p
Tall Tanya		£3
Silly Cilla	5p
C.U.Jimmy	5p
Albert Bodge		£2.50
Roland Heap	20p
Nice Nigel		£4.50
Merlin Shriek	20p
Carol Singer	25p

Altogether Harry collected £22.00 from his sponsors. 

Puzzle
How far did he walk?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

12/03/2013 - How Many Triangles 3 (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

Make sure you can clearly see the image shown above.

Puzzle
How many triangles are there in the shape shown above?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

07/03/2013 - True Number (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

I am thinking of a 6-digit number. The sum of the digits is 43. 

And only two of the following three statements about the number are true: 

1. It's a square number,
2. It's a cube number, and
3. The number is under 500000.

Puzzle
What is the number?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

06/03/2013 - Four 4s (10-19) (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

During this puzzle you can only use the following mathematical functions:

• Addition
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Division
• Decimal point
• Square-root
• Brackets
• Power (e.g. 4 to the power 4 is 4 x 4 x 4 x 4 = 256)
• The number of 4 exactlyf 4 times.
  

Puzzle
Using only the mathematical functions and the number 4 (EXACTLY 4 times) construct the numbers from 10 to 19.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

05/03/2013 - Adding It Wrong! (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

This is an additional table that seems to follow a different pattern.

Puzzle
Work out the missing number.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

04/03/2013 - How Much? (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

Brian was about to pay £12 for a number of cakes, but then the baker decided two throw two extra ones in for free, because they were so little.

By adding the two extra cakes the cakes now cost one pound a dozen less than when Brian was about to pay.

Puzzle 
Tell now how many eggs she received for her twelve cents?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

02/03/2013 - Missing Numbers 2 (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

This is just a straight algebra questions, but there is an easier way to work it out.

X72 + 3Y8 = 47Z


Puzzle
Work out X, Y and Z.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

24/02/2013 - Missing Numbers 1 (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

This is just a straight algebra questions, but there is an easier way to work it out.

835X + XY2 = Y14Y

Puzzle
Work out X and Y.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

21/02/2013 - Golden Payment (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

You have a solid gold bar, marked into 7 equal parts.

You need to pay an employee each day for one week. 

He charges exactly 1/7 of the gold bar per day. 

You are only allowed to make 2 cuts into the bar (and this is gold so don’t even think about “folding” the bar). 

Puzzle
How can you make the cuts to pay your worker one gold piece every day?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

19/02/2013 - How Many Triangles 2 (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

Make sure you can clearly see the image shown above.

Puzzle
How many triangles are there in the shape shown above?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

18/02/2013 - Missing Number (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

The above 4 triangles are completed by using the same rules.

Puzzle
What is the missing number from the centre of the forth triangle?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

17/02/2013 - 53 Steps (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

Construct the grid above exactly.

Puzzle
Move from the highlight number 5 in the bottom left to the highlight number 4 in the top right, so that the sum of all the squares you land on equal 53.

You can only move horizontally and vertically, not diagonally.

Check the solution for the correct answer answer

15/02/2013 - Birthday Cake (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

There is a round sponge birthday cake and eight hungry birthday guests.

Puzzle
Slice the cake with only 3 cuts, to create 8 even parts (exactly).

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.