Math riddles

simplelogicmathcleverclean

An infinite number of mathematicians are standing behind a bar. The first asks the barman for half a pint of beer, the second for a quarter pint, the third an eighth, and so on. How many pints of beer will the barman need to fulfill all mathematicians' wishes?
Just one.
74.16 %
106 votes
interviewlogicmath

The Miller next took the company aside and showed them nine sacks of flour that were standing as depicted in the sketch. "Now, hearken, all and some," said he, "while that I do set ye the riddle of the nine sacks of flour. And mark ye, my lords and masters, that there be single sacks on the outside, pairs next unto them, and three together in the middle thereof. By Saint Benedict, it doth so happen that if we do but multiply the pair, 28, by the single one, 7, the answer is 196, which is of a truth the number shown by the sacks in the middle. Yet it be not true that the other pair, 34, when so multiplied by its neighbour, 5, will also make 196. Wherefore I do beg you, gentle sirs, so to place anew the nine sacks with as little trouble as possible that each pair when thus multiplied by its single neighbour shall make the number in the middle." As the Miller has stipulated in effect that as few bags as possible shall be moved, there is only one answer to this puzzle, which everybody should be able to solve.
The way to arrange the sacks of flour is as follows: 2, 78, 156, 39, 4. Here each pair when multiplied by its single neighbour makes the number in the middle, and only five of the sacks need be moved. There are just three other ways in which they might have been arranged (4, 39, 156, 78, 2; or 3, 58, 174, 29, 6; or 6, 29, 174, 58, 3), but they all require the moving of seven sacks.
74.15 %
41 votes
logicmath

Note: This riddle must be done IN YOUR HEAD ONLY and NOT using paper and a pen. Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000. Now add 30. Another 1000. Now add 20. Now add another 1000. Now add 10. What is the total?
The answer is 4100, check it out on a calculator. Did you think it was 5000? Most people add the 100 as 1000 by mistake.
74.05 %
60 votes
logicmathcleanclever

Using only and all the numbers 3, 3, 7, 7, along with the arithmetic operations +,-,*, and /, can you come up with a calculation that gives the number 24? No decimal points allowed. [For example, to get the number 14, we could do 3 * (7 - (7 / 3))]
7 * ((3 / 7) + 3) = 24
74.05 %
60 votes
logicmath

Can you arrange four 9's and use of at most 2 math symbols, make the total be 100?
99 / .99 or 99 + 9/9
73.89 %
87 votes
logicmathsimpleclean

Is half of two plus two equal to two or three?
Three. It seems that it could almost be either, but if you follow the mathematical orders of operation, division is performed before addition. So... half of two is one. Then add two, and the answer is three.
73.80 %
64 votes
logicmath

Assume: 5+3+2 = 151022 9+2+4 = 183652 8+6+3 = 482466 5+4+5 = 202541 Then; 7+2+5 = ?
143547 Explanations: Multiplication of the 1st & 2nd numbers, 5*3 = 15; 9*2 = 18…thusly, 7*2 = 14 Multiplication of the 1st & 3rd numbers, 5*2 = 10; 9*4 = 36…thusly, 7*5 = 35; Multiplication of the 1st & the sum of the 2nd & 3rd numbers. The generated result is reduced by the value of the 2nd number, …thusly, 7*(2+5) = 49 - 2 = 47
73.64 %
59 votes
logicmath

A farmer lived in a small village. He had three sons. One day he gave $100 dollars to his sons and told them to go to market. The three sons should buy 100 animals for $100 dollars. In the market there were chickens, hens and goats. Cost of a goat is $10, cost of a hen is $5 and cost of a chicken is $0.50. There should be at least one animal from each group. The farmer’s sons should spend all the money on buying animals. There should be 100 animals, not a single animal more or less! What do the sons buy?
They purchased 100 animals for 100 dollars. $10 spent to purchase 1 goat. $45 spent to purchase 9 hens. $45 spent to purchase 90 chickens.
73.64 %
95 votes
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