Solution: Puzzling Problems
Puzzling Problems presented a series of trick questions for students to answer. The questions and their solutions are given below:
1. You have two coins that are worth 30 cents. One of the coins is not a nickel. What are the two coins?
You have a nickel and a quarter. The nickel is not a quarter.
2. Juan had 35 grapes in his lunch pail. He ate all but nine. How many did he have left?
He had nine grapes left.
3. Nicki has eight identical blue socks and eight identical green socks all mixed up in her sock drawer. If she reaches in without looking, what is the minimum number she must pull out to get a matching pair?
Three. If she pulls out three socks the possibilities are: three blue, two blue and one green, one blue and two green, or three green. No matter what, she will have a matching pair.
4. How much dirt is in a hole that is one meter deep, two meters wide, and five meters long?
None. Holes don't have dirt in them.
5. A truck can haul 2 tons of rocks at a time. How many trips will it take to haul 5 tons?
Three trips. You cannot make half a trip.