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Mathematical Puzzles 


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Puzzle 5 


Can you find a five-digit number that has no zeros, and no repeated digits, where:

The first digit is a prime number.
The second digit is the fifth digit minus the first digit.
The third digit is twice the first digit.
The fourth digit is the third digit plus three.
The fifth digit is the difference between the first digit and the fourth digit.
Don't forget that 1 isn't prime, the prime numbers start with 2, 3, 5, …

Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone

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Puzzle 6 


My local bus company has recently expanded and no longer has enough room inside its garage for all of its buses.

Twelve of their buses have to be stored outside.

If they decide to increase their garage space by 40% they will have enough room for all of their current buses, plus enough room to store another twelve in the future.

How many buses does the company currently own?

Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone

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Puzzle 7 


Within the BrainBashers school, the science department has three disciplines.

In total, 280 students study chemistry, 254 students study physics, and 280 students study biology.

In total, 97 students study chemistry and physics, 138 students study physics and biology, and 152 students study chemistry and biology.

73 students study all three disciplines.

Can you determine how many students there are in the science department? The answer is not 814.

Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone

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Puzzle 8 


A large freshwater reservoir has two types of drainage system. Small pipes and large pipes.

6 large pipes, on their own, can drain the reservoir in 12 hours.

6 small pipes, on their own, can drain the reservoir in 18 hours.

How long will 6 large pipes and 6 small pipes take to drain the reservoir?

Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone

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