Math Riddles
Number and mathematical puzzles that require calculation.
The Multiplication Mystery
If eight men can build eight walls in eight hours, how many men could build four walls in four hours?
Answer: Eight men
The Simple Math
If you divide 30 by half and add 10, what do you get?
Answer: 70 (30 divided by 1/2 equals 60, plus 10 equals 70)
The Seven Problem
Seven men have seven wives. Each wife has seven sacks. Each sack has seven cats. Each cat has seven kittens. How many legs are there in all?
Answer: 1,813 (7 men + 49 wives + 343 cats + 2401 kittens = 2800 beings with 4 legs each for cats and kittens, and 2 legs each for people)
The Number Problem
I am a three-digit number. My tens digit is six more than my ones digit. My hundreds digit is eight less than my tens digit. What number am I?
Answer: 194
Number Precision
Using only addition, add eight 8’s to get the number 1,000.
Answer: 888 + 88 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 1,000
The Meeting Time
Two trains started simultaneously from stations A and B and proceeded towards each other. They met at a place 120 km away from station A. After meeting, they took 9 hours and 16 hours respectively to reach their destinations. What is the distance between stations A and B?
Answer: 400 km
The Money Problem
A man buys a horse for $60, sells it for $70, buys it back for $80, and finally sells it for $90. How much profit did he make?
Answer: $20 profit ($70-$60) + ($90-$80)
The Sock Drawer
A drawer contains 10 blue socks and 10 red socks. Without looking, how many socks must you take out to ensure you have a matching pair?
Answer: 3 socks
The Circle Problem
What shape has the most sides?
Answer: A circle (infinite sides)
The Weighing Puzzle
You have 9 identical looking balls but one weighs slightly more than the others. Using a balance scale, what’s the minimum number of weighings to find the heavier ball?
Answer: 2 weighings