Random Puzzles 

Workings

Hint
Does the number of adults and children matter?

Answer
3,672.

Reasoning
The actual number of adults and children doesn't actually matter.

If all of the people were adults, then half of them (306) would be given 12 sweets:

  306 x 12 = 3672

If all of the people were children, then three quarters of them (459) would be given 8 sweets:

  459 x  8 = 3672

If there were 512 adults (so 256 would get 12 sweets = 3072) and 100 children (so 75 would get 8 sweets = 600):

  256 x 12 + 75 x 8 = 3672

We can change the numbers of adults and children, but it doesn't change the answer.

The reason for this lies in the fact that ¹/₂ adults x 12 sweets = ³/₄ children x 8 sweets (both are 6).

Workings

Hint
The first letters of the words are: P, O, B, C, U, R, D, V, D, D, N, S, B, T, D.

Answers
---cil = pencil ---hid = orchid ---nze = bronze ---ese = cheese ---lug = unplug ---som = ransom ---uxe = deluxe ---uum = vacuum ---arm = disarm ---amo = dynamo ---rby = nearby ---ink = shrink ---sai = bonsai ---too = tattoo ---fen = deafen

Workings

Hint
Try to find out where Mrs Umbrella lives first.

Answer
From, left to right:
#1 Mrs Scott    - glass
#2 Mrs Umbrella - straw
#3 Mr Tidsley   - brick
#4 Mr Wilshaw   - wood

Reasoning
If we separate and label the clues, and label the bungalows #1, #2, #3, #4 from left to right we can see that:
Mrs Scott's bungalow is somewhere to the left of the wooden one. The third one along is brick. Mrs Umbrella owns a straw bungalow Mr Tidsley does not live at either end. Mr Tidsley lives somewhere to the right of the glass bungalow. Mr Wilshaw lives in the fourth bungalow. The first bungalow is not made from straw.
By (6) Mr Wilshaw lives in the fourth bungalow.
   #1
   #2
   #3
   #4 Mr Wilshaw

By (3), Mrs Umbrella owns the straw bungalow. By (7) it isn't #1, by (2) it isn't #3, so it must be #2.
   #1
   #2 Mrs Umbrella - straw
   #3
   #4 Mr Wilshaw

By (4), Mr Tidsley must therefore live in #3, which, by (2) is the brick bungalow.
   #1
   #2 Mrs Umbrella - straw
   #3 Mr Tidsley   - brick
   #4 Mr Wilshaw

By (1), Mrs Scott's bungalow must be #1, and #4 must be the wooden one.
   #1 Mrs Scott
   #2 Mrs Umbrella - straw
   #3 Mr Tidsley   - brick
   #4 Mr Wilshaw   - wood

This leaves #1 as the glass bungalow.
   #1 Mrs Scott    - glass
   #2 Mrs Umbrella - straw
   #3 Mr Tidsley   - brick
   #4 Mr Wilshaw   - wood

Workings

Hint
Do leap years make a difference?

Answer
Hours in 10 years.

Reasoning
In a day, there are 60 x 60 x 24 seconds = 86,400 seconds.

In 10 years, there are 10 x 365 x 24 hours = 87,600 hours, which even without the leap years is already the larger number.