Random Puzzles 

Workings

Hint
Think about the 40%, and how many buses that represents.

Answer
72 buses.

Reasoning
The garage is currently full, with 12 more buses outside.

If we increase the garage space by 40%, there will be enough space to house those 12 buses, plus 12 more in the future, a total of 24 buses.

This means that 40% of the current garage capacity is 24 buses.

Therefore, 10% of the current garage capacity is 6 buses.

Therefore, 100% of the current garage capacity is 60 buses.

So, the current garage holds 60 buses, and there are 12 more outside.

Therefore, we have a total of 72 buses.

Double-Checking
They currently have 72 buses, 12 of which are outside, so 60 are inside.

Increasing the garage space of 60 buses by 40% will give room for 60 x 1.4 = 84 buses.

Which is the 72 they currently own, with space for 12 more buses in the future.

This confirms the answer.

Workings

Hint
How many minutes are there between 2:00 and 7:00?

Answer
65 minutes.

Reasoning



We need to break down the five hours in the following way:

3 x Answer minutes past two o'clock 40 minutes Answer minutes before seven o'clock
Why? It is now Answer minutes before seven o'clock, and then we have the 40 minutes before that, and the remaining time was 3 x Answer minutes past two o'clock.

So, five hours = 5 x 60 = 300 minutes. We already know about the 40 minutes, so we have to share the remaining 260 minutes in the ratio 3:1, which gives 195:65 minutes. Or using algebra 4 x Answer = 300 – 40, so Answer = 65 minutes.

Therefore, the five hours is made up of:

195 minutes past two o'clock 40 minutes 65 minutes before seven o'clock
So, it's currently 65 minutes before 7:00 = 5:55.

Double-Checking
It is now 65 minutes before seven o'clock = 5:55, so 40 minutes ago it was 5:15 – which is 195 minutes after 2:00, as required (as 65 x 3 = 195).

Workings

Hint
A little bit of algebra might help.

Answer
64 pounds.

The head weighs 24 pounds, the body weighs 32 pounds, and the tail weighs 8 pounds.

Reasoning
The trout is made up of the head, body and tail, H, B and T.

We are told that:

    T = 8

(1) H = T + B ÷ 2

(2) B = H + T

Placing T into (1) and (2) we get:

(3) H = 8 + B ÷ 2

(4) B = H + 8

Using (4) in (3) we get:

    H = 8 + B ÷ 2

(5) H = 8 + (H + 8) ÷ 2

Multiplying (5) by 2 we get:

 2H = 16 + H + 8

 2H = 24 + H

  H = 24

Therefore, by (2):

 B = H + T

 B = 24 + 8

 B = 32

Giving:

 H = 24
 B = 32
 T = 8

And a total of 24 + 32 + 8 = 64 pounds.

Workings

Hint
The first letters of the words are: D, D, F, I, L, L, P, S, S, S.

Answers
dif + fer + ent = different
dig + est + ive = digestive
far + mho + use = farmhouse
imp + ort + ant = important
lib + rar + ian = librarian
lig + htn + ing = lightning
por + tfo + lio = portfolio
sca + rec + row = scarecrow
sin + cer + ely = sincerely
som + eth + ing = something