Riddles

[CrowsFan]

Riddle #19

Two convicts are locked in a cell. There is an unbarred window high up in the cell. No matter if they stand on the bed or one on top of the other they can't reach the window to escape. They then decide to tunnel out. However, they give up with the tunneling because it will take too long. Finally one of the convicts figures out how to escape from the cell. What is his plan?

If there's a window to get out of, and they can dig a tunnel. Couldn't they dig just keep digging until the dirt was piled high enough for them to reach the window?

Correct Nigey

Fantasy gun, I suppose that's another way to do it :P

CF, maybe could've done it in one night?

Well if they could dig out enough dirt in a night to get up to a window that they couldn't reach while standing on each other on a bed then surely they could dig a tunnel fast enough to escape :P

[GoLions]

Riddle #20

An insurance salesman walks up to a house and knocks on the door. A woman answers, and he asks her how many children she has and how old they are. She says I will give you a hint. If you multiply the 3 children's ages, you get 36. He says this is not enough information. So she gives him a 2nd hint. If you add up the children's ages, the sum is the number on the house next door. He goes next door and looks at the house number and says this is still not enough information. So she says she'll give him one last hint, which is that her oldest of the 3 plays piano.

What are the ages of her 3 kids?

[CrowsFan]

9, then twins who are 2 :)

[Ringo]

or 2,3 and 6

[Fantasygun]

6,2,3 no particular order?
still not enough information

[LF]

12 they are triplets

[CrowsFan]

12 they are triplets

12 X 12 X 12 = 1,728. Not 36 ;)

6,2,3 no particular order?
still not enough information

There is enough information, which rules out 6, 3 and 2.

[LF]

12 they are triplets

12 X 12 X 12 = 1,728. Not 36 ;)

6,2,3 no particular order?
still not enough information

There is enough information, which rules out 6, 3 and 2.

I`m drinking and didn`t read it properly meh

[kilbluff1985]

i'm sure there is a husband who she calls a kid involved cant remember

[GoLions]

9, then twins who are 2 :)

CF is correct.

For those who got other answers, this is why there is only one answer:

Groups of 3 that multiply to give 36 are (and their sums in brackets);
1, 1, 36 (38)
1, 2, 18 (21)
1, 3, 12 (16)
1, 4, 9 (14)
1, 6, 6 (13)
2, 2, 9 (13)
2, 3, 6 (11)
3, 3, 4 (10)

She says that the sum of their ages adds up to the house number next door. If this number were any number other than 13, the salesman would be able to get the answer. However, he says it is still not enough information. She then goes on to say that her oldest child plays piano. The 2 options left before this final clue were (2, 2, 9) and (1, 6, 6), and as the 2nd choice has no highest number, the ages of her kids must be 2, 2, and 9.

[CrowsFan]

Look for those saying there isn't enough information there actually is. The key is working out why the salesman says there still isn't enough information after looking at the number of the house next door. So to work out why you get all the factors that multiply to 36 and add too. Which looks like this...

1, 1, 36 = 38
1, 2, 18 = 21
1, 3, 12 = 16
1, 4, 9 = 14
1, 6, 6 = 13
2, 2, 9 = 13
2, 3, 6 = 11
3, 3, 4 = 10

So if he had gone next door and seen the house number was for example 10, he would know the ages were 3, 3 and 4. But he came back confused, which means there had to be more than one way to add up the numbers to get the house number. Only ones for that add up to 13, which are 1, 6 and 6 or 2, 2 and 9.

Which is where the final clue comes in. She said the oldest plays piano, so you can assume it is the 2, 2 and 9 rather than 6, 6 and 1.

Simple really :)

[CrowsFan]

Haha beat me to it GL ;)

[kilbluff1985]

i need a nap ::)

[GoLions]

Haha beat me to it GL ;)

Haha yeah :P
I remember we got asked it in my Algorithms unit last semester, and so instead of paying attention to the rest of the lecture, I was working it out. Got it eventually after 10 minutes or so, has to be one of my favourites I reckon  :)

i need a nap ::)

Lol

[GoLions]

Riddle #21

Every day a peasant must pay the king one pound of gold and leave it on a collection plate in front of his house. Every morning a guard comes by to make sure he has put a pound of gold on the plate. The king collects the gold every six days from the plate. If the peasant only has one six pound block of gold (which is in the shape of a rectangular prism), how can he make only two parallel cuts and still follow the kings rules each day?