13/03/2013 - Old News (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard)

Description

A newspaper is printed on 8 large sheets of paper that are laid on top of each other and folded in half. 

This means that the newspaper has 32 pages altogether.
The first sheet contains pages 1, 2, 31 and 32.

Puzzle
I pick up a sheet containing page 25. What are the other pages that this sheet contains?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

03/03/2013 - Weighing the Baby (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard).

Description

A the mother weighs 100 pounds more than the combined weight of the baby and the dog, and the dog weighs 60 percent less than the baby?

Puzzle
How much does the baby weigh?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

28/02/2013 - Coin Jumping (***)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (hard).

Description

Layout 10 coins in a row.

Coins must jump two places and over exactly two coins each time (either one coin in each of the two spaces it is jumping or over two coins in one place and zero coins in the other place).  This rule has been shown above.

Puzzle
Using the rules given above end with 5 stacks of 2 coins.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer. 

26/02/2013 - Your ABC (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard).

Description

A nice bit of algebra this one.

ABCD x E = DCBA

Puzzle
Work out what A, B, C, D and E are for the above equation to work.

Check the Solutions page for the correct answer.

22/02/2013 - Sharing Sandwiches (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard).

Description

Fred, Bill and Gary went for a hike.  Fred took 5 sandwiches, Bill took 3 sandwiches and Gary took none.

When they sat down to eat Fred cut each of his sandwiches into 3 equal parts.  Bill also cut his sandwiches into 3 equal parts.

Fred, Bill and Gary each ate 8 sandwich parts, but because Gary was feeling guilty he gave Fred and Bill 1 pound for each sandwich part he ate.

Puzzle
How should the £8 be split between Fred and Bill?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

20/02/2013 - Toads and Toadstools (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard).

Description

Here is a class puzzle.

Two white toads and two black toads are sat on toadstools (that can only fit one toad on each).  There are 8 toadstools arranged in a square (3 by 3, with the middle empty), as shown above.  The white toads are sat in the corners at the top and the black toads in the corners at the bottom.

The toads want to swap places, but they can only jump according to the rules of a knight in chess (that is 2 squares up or down and one to side, or two squares to the side and one square up or down).

Puzzle
Swap the toads positions in as few moves as possible.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

07/02/2013 - A Dozen Apples (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard).

Description

It was the day before Christmas, and a shopkeeper was feeling rather generous, so he said to his assistant:

“Today you may sell these apples for a pound a dozen less than they were. That will mean that customers will get one more apple for a pound.”

Puzzle

What were the old and new prices for a dozen apples?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

05/02/2013 - From A to B (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard).

Description

A bike travels downhill at 20 mph (miles per hour), on the level (flat road) at  15 mph, and uphill at only 12 mph. The bike takes 4 hours to travel from town A to town B. The return trip takes 4 hours and 40 minutes. 

Puzzle
Find the distance between the two towns.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

02/02/2013 - It Equals 1 (***)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

Use the fraction layout shown above, where there is one digit "over" two others.

Puzzle
Using the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 construct three fractions were one digit is over two others (e.g. 1/23) so that when the three fractions are added together equal 1.

You must use each number once and once only.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

26/01/2013 - Connected Circles II (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard).

Description
Build the grid shown below.

Puzzle
Place the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 into the six circles so that the numbers next to each circle are the sum totals of all of the connected circles.

For example:
The diagram shown below, can be completed, by using the numbers 1,2 and 3.

With the correct answer being.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

21/01/2013 - 5 Digit Number (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard).

Description

If we put the digit 1 at the beginning of a 5 digit number we will get a number three times smaller than if we put the digit 1 at the end of the 5 digit number.

Puzzle
What is the 5 digit number?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

18/01/2013 - Pencils in Jars (***)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description

I have a set number of pencils and jars.

If I put 9 of the pencils divided equally into each jar, I will have two jars left over.
If I put 6 of the pencils divided equally into each jar, I will have three pencils left over.

Puzzle
How many pencils and how many jars?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

16/01/2013 - Heavy Apples (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard)

Description

Someone has mixed up some apples:

• There are 10 baskets containing apples.

• There are various amounts of apples in each basket ranging from 10 to 20.

• 9 of the baskets contain apples weighing 4 ounces each.

• 1 of the baskets contains apples weighing 5 ounces each.

• All the apples look the same.

• The equipment you have is a set of scales and an empty basket.

• It is late and the lorry is waiting to take the apples to market. You only have time to make one measurement using the scales.

Puzzle

How can you tell which basket has the 5 ounce apples in it?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

10/01/2013 - Pardoner's Tale (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard).

Description

Here is a classic puzzle from the Canterbury Tales, where a prisoner has to come up with a puzzle to be pardoned for his crime - and this was his creation.

Draw the grid above, making sure to leave the gap (missing line) at the bottom centre of the grid.

Puzzle
Starting at the prisoners location (the black square) make 15 connecting lines that do not cross and pass through all the other blank squares.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

07/01/2013 - Bug Jump (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard).
 
Description

 

Three red bugs and three green bugs are playing a game on the board shown above. The red bugs and green bugs have to change places.

They are allowed to do the following:

• A bug may move from its spot along a line to an empty space as long as it doesn't pass over another bug.
• A bug that is in one of the corner spots may jump over another bug of a different colour provided it jumps in a straight line and lands in an empty space.

However, a bug cannot jump over a bug of the same colour.

Puzzle
What is the minimum number of moves to have the red and green bugs change places?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

06/01/2013 - Catch The Thief (***)

This puzzle is rated 1 star (hard).

Description

There is a thief (T) and a detective (D) as shown in the grid above. To catch the thief, the detective can move from one square to a square next to it either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

However, the detective must change his direction every time he moves one square. For example, if the detective has just moved diagonally north-east, then his next move cannot be diagonally north-east.

The thief does not move, and the detective catches the thief by ending up on the same square as the thief.

The detective needs to collect gold coins the thief has dropped from as many of the squares as possible.

Puzzle
How many coins can the dective collect on his way to catch the thief?

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.

05/01/2013 - Connected Circles (***)

This puzzle is rated 3 star (hard).

Description
Build the grid shown below.

Puzzle
Place all of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 into the six circles so that the numbers next to each circle are the sum totals of all of the connected circles.

For example:
The diagram shown below, can be completed, by using the numbers 1,2 and 3.

 With the correct answer being.

Check the solutions page for the correct answer.