The Math Puzzle

Divide 30 by half and add 10. What do you get?

70.

When you divide 30 by half, you’re actually multiplying it by 2 (since dividing by 1/2 is the same as multiplying by 2). So, 30 ÷ 1/2 = 60. Then, add 10, and you get 70.

116

The Desert Backpack Puzzle

Two men are in a desert. They both have backpacks on. One of the men is dead. The man who is alive has his backpack open, and the man who is dead has his backpack closed. What is in the dead man’s backpack?

A parachute.

The Prisoner’s Paradox

A prisoner is told: “If you tell a lie, we will hang you, and if you tell the truth, we will shoot you.”
What did the prisoner say to save himself?

The prisoner said, “You will hang me.”

This creates a paradox: if the statement is true, they should shoot him, but if it’s false, they should hang him. Unable to carry out either punishment without contradicting themselves, the prisoner is saved.

The Three Consecutive Double Letters

What English word has three consecutive double letters?

Hint:

Think of a compound word related to keeping records or accounts. It’s something that involves reading and writing, and the double letters come from combining two words you likely already know!

Bookkeeper.

The Hidden Life Puzzle

Hidden in the ground,
Unearthed in due time,
Though small, I am bound,
To spark life’s climb.

A seed.

The Horse and Rope Puzzle

A horse is tied to a five-meter rope in front of an old saloon. Six meters behind the horse is a bale of hay. Without breaking his rope, the horse is able to eat the hay whenever he chooses. How is this possible?

The rope is not tied to anything else.

The Odd Word Out Puzzle

Which word is the odd one out: Seventy, Brawl, Clover, Proper, Carrot, Swing, Change, Travel, Sacred, Stone?

Carrot.

When the first and last letters are removed from the other words, they still spell another word.

The Club Password Mystery

A man wanted to enter an exclusive club but didn’t know the password. He waited by the door and listened. A club member knocked on the door, and the doorman said, “twelve.” The member replied, “six” and was let in. Another member came, and the doorman said, “six.” The member replied, “three” and was let in. The man thought he understood and walked up to the door. The doorman said, “ten,” and the man replied, “five,” but he wasn’t let in. What should he have said?

He should have said, “Three.” The doorman lets in those who respond with the number of letters in the word he says.

The Unspoken Mystery

If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you haven’t got me. What am I?

A secret.

The Three Card Puzzle

Three playing cards in a row. Can you name them with these clues? There is a two to the right of a king. A diamond will be found to the left of a spade. An ace is to the left of a heart. A heart is to the left of a spade. Now, identify all three cards.

Ace of Diamonds, King of Hearts, and Two of Spades.

Clue 1: The two is to the right of the king, so the king must be in the middle, with the two on the right.
Clue 2: The diamond is to the left of the spade, placing the spade on the far right, and the diamond on the far left.
Clue 3: The ace is to the left of the heart, so the ace must be on the far left, and the heart in the middle.
Clue 4: The heart is to the left of the spade, confirming the heart is in the middle.