Puzzle 197
Can you fill the thermometers with mercury, such that the numbers outside the grid indicate how many cells in each row and column contain mercury?
Mercury always starts filling from the bottom of a thermometer and not every thermometer has to contain mercury.
Puzzle Copyright © Johan de Ruiter
workings
hint
answer
print
www.brainbashers.com
/puzzle/zvft
share
Hint
Tops of thermometers can't be filled unless the bottoms are.
Answer
Puzzle 198
What number comes next in this sequence:
1 · 2 · 2 · 4 · 8 · 11 · 33 · 37 · 148 · ?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
workings
hint
answer
print
www.brainbashers.com
/puzzle/zhsx
share
Hint
The sequence involves both adding and multiplying in some way.
Answer
153.
The sequence is created using: +1 x1 +2 x2 +3 x3 +4 x4 +5.
Puzzle 199
A kind old person decided to give 12 sweets to each of the adults in the town, and 8 sweets to each of the children.
Of the 612 people in the town, exactly half of the adults, and exactly three quarters of the children took the sweets.
How many sweets did the kind old person have to buy?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
workings
hint
answer
print
www.brainbashers.com
/puzzle/zdtu
share
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).
Puzzle 200
I started out on the journey from the forest with a full tank of fuel, 12 gallons exactly.
However, the moment I started out, the fuel tank sprung a leak. I travelled at 50 mph until I ran out of fuel exactly 4 hours later.
I know that the car does 25 miles for each gallon.
How much fuel had I lost through the hole?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
workings
hint
answer
print
www.brainbashers.com
/puzzle/zvze
share
Hint
How many miles did I travel?
Answer
I had lost 4 gallons.
Reasoning
I travelled at 50mph for 4 hours, which is 200 miles.
I used 25 gallons every 25 miles, so I used 8 gallons travelling those 200 miles.
I started with 12 gallons and used 8 gallons, so I lost the other 4 gallons.
