Puzzle 5
During the recent BrainBashers cipher convention, a Morse code contest took place.
The contest consisted of a Morse code transmission where the spaces between the letters and words were missing.
Can you find the ten names for pet cats?
Luckily, BrainBashers has provided you with a list of the Morse code characters:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hints
The first letters of the words are: F, T, W, S, F, T, T, T, S, M.
Answers
Fluffy
Tiger
Whiskers
Spot
Felix
Tom
Tabby
Tiddles
Socks
Mittens
Puzzle 6
Can you add one Z to the following word to form another valid English word:
LEG
You may change the order of the letters.
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Add 'one Z', literally.
Answer
Lozenge.
Reasoning
'one Z' + LEG = ONE Z LEG = ONEZLEG > LOZENGE.
Puzzle 7
Add lines to this grid and create five areas that each have 4 letters, to spell five 4-letter words.
Puzzle Copyright © Elliott Line This puzzle appeared in Mensa's EnigmaSig (194.34) and is used with permission.
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Hint
One of the words is FREE.
Answer
Dare, Shin, Typo, Free, and Lawn.
Puzzle 8
Start with a number larger than 0, square it, add 4, double, take away 3, times 4 and finally subtract the original number.
If you were now left with 20, what number did you start with?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
A little algebra might help.
Answer
1 /8 .
Reasoning
If we convert the question to algebra, we have:
((n^2 + 4) x 2 − 3) x 4 − n = 20
Expanding the brackets and simplifying gives:
(2n^2 + 8 − 3) x 4 − n = 20
(2n^2 + 5) x 4 − n = 20
8n^2 + 20 − n = 20
8n^2 − n = 0 (*)
8n − 1 = 0
8n = 1
n = 1 /8
In the equation marked (*) zero is also a potential solution, but as the question tells us that we "Start with a number larger than 0" we know that n can't be 0, and therefore we can safely divide by n.
Double-Checking
1 /8
squared = 1 /64
add 4 = 41 /64
double = 81 /32
take away 3 = 51 /32
times 4 = 201 /8
subtracting 1 /8 gives 20, as required.
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