There is a room complete darkness inside , no windows, flat roof and sealed door. Inside are 3 lightbulbs, all work. Outside are 3 separate switches. Without the use of tools and only by your self (nobody else is present) determine which switch works which bulb. The problem is you can only go into the room once, the door must be opened when you enter and closed behind you, any combination of the switches in on off positions can be set before going into the room. you cannot leave the door open at any time. How do you know which bulb works with which switch.
Can be done, there is not a stupid answer
See if you can work it out.
Puzzle
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 17174
- Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2002 6:54 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Cheshire, England
Switch one light on and then pull real hard on the wire of another one so that it rips the wire out the light and it falls helplessly on the floor. You then know that the light that is not on but still in tact is the third one, the one that is on is the first and the second one is in a state of disrepair.
Just a bit of lateral thinking.
Just a bit of lateral thinking.
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 17174
- Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2002 6:54 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Cheshire, England
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 17174
- Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2002 6:54 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Cheshire, England
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 17174
- Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2002 6:54 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Cheshire, England
Lets look at evidence. When switching the light on, it shines and you can see that switch operates that light.
Problem. We can do this to find one light. one parameter for 3 unknowns. No solution.
We need a way of bringing more information into the problem and must focus on the light bulbs for evidence.... weh hey!!! I go it. This evidence we need is information for which switch goes to which light but the light does not have to be on to know it has been on!!!
If we turn on light switch one for 10 mins so that the bulb heats up then we can turn it off. New information to solve the problem. Then we turn on switch 2.
We then go into the room.
Light 1 - is warm
Light 2 - if on
Light 3 - is off and cold
Weh hey!!
Problem. We can do this to find one light. one parameter for 3 unknowns. No solution.
We need a way of bringing more information into the problem and must focus on the light bulbs for evidence.... weh hey!!! I go it. This evidence we need is information for which switch goes to which light but the light does not have to be on to know it has been on!!!
If we turn on light switch one for 10 mins so that the bulb heats up then we can turn it off. New information to solve the problem. Then we turn on switch 2.
We then go into the room.
Light 1 - is warm
Light 2 - if on
Light 3 - is off and cold
Weh hey!!
-
- Knife
- Posts: 379
- Joined: Sun Feb 02, 2003 3:11 pm
- Location: Eureka CA USA
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 17174
- Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2002 6:54 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Cheshire, England
Logical problems are easy!! Just look at the situation and information you have. Then look at the constraints. In this case, it was the constraint of information itself. Think of how to bring more information or parameters to the poroblem and then you can simultaniously solve the "equation". All good fun.
Alternatively, you can think lateraly and have fun. My favourite one of those is how the scuba diver ended up dead in the middle of the farmers field!! How did he end up there?
Alternatively, you can think lateraly and have fun. My favourite one of those is how the scuba diver ended up dead in the middle of the farmers field!! How did he end up there?
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 17174
- Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2002 6:54 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Cheshire, England
He was scuba diving in the sea and he did not die during this activity. The field he was found in was always a field and was not a fried up lake. Think lateraly.Not Now Neil wrote:Did he die whilst scuba diving in a lake or something, then there was a drought and all the water dried up leaving him in the middle of a field?
-
- Knife
- Posts: 379
- Joined: Sun Feb 02, 2003 3:11 pm
- Location: Eureka CA USA
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 17174
- Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2002 6:54 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Cheshire, England