Puzzlers

Solutions included on the last slide – no peaking!

Cathal McCoy

No match for you

1. Move only two matches to create another arithmetically correct equation.

2. From there, move another two matches to make a further equation.

Four moves in all, making two further arithmetically correct equations.

Growing up fast

b o y

• Turn this boy into a old man using 4 curved lines (arcs) and 1 straight line.

Back in your box

• Which box can you make it into?• Rules:

1. You (centre) can only move ← horizontally→ and ↑vertically↓.

2. You must enter the box via its open lid.3. You’re allowed exactly 5 moves (squares), and you may only

turn once, your final move must take you inside the box.

Build me a wall paddy

• Build the shape below without lifting your pen from the page or retracing any lines.

Leap of Earth

• Assume the earth’s orbit around the sun is a circular one, with a radius of 93 million miles.

How much longer (in miles) is the earth’s path around the sun in a leap year?

...be careful

Solutions to follow!

No match for you

1. Move only two matches to create another arithmetically correct equation.

2. From there, move another two matches to make a further equation.

Four moves in all, making two further arithmetically correct equations.

1

2

3

4

Growing up fast

b o y

• Turn this boy into a old man using 4 curved lines (arcs) and 1 straight line.

Back in your box

1. You (centre) can only move ← horizontally→ and ↑vertically↓.

2. You must enter the box via its open lid.3. You’re allowed exactly 5 moves (squares), and you may

only turn once, your final move must take you inside the box.

4 3 2 1 5

Build me a wall paddy

• Build the shape below without lifting your pen from the page or retracing any lines.

1

2 3

4

5

6

7

8

Leap of Earth• Assume the earth’s orbit around the sun is a circular one, with a radius of 93 million miles. How much longer (in miles) is the earth’s path around the sun in a leap year?

Answer: No further. It’s a trick question really, the earth travels the same distance on each orbit. With the above assumptions, the

earth’s orbital path roughly = 0.6 billion miles. The leap year is a man-made concept. The earth actually takes 365.25 days to complete its orbit, so it has become normal to make every fourth year 366 days long.

For the mathematically minded, with the above assumptions the distance the earth travels along its orbital path in one day is roughly 1.6 million miles. So this answer is also accepted. Well done.