9 replies to this topic

[Tomk]

John played in a bowling league. He rode to the bowling alley with a neighbor that was on his team, but Alice (his wife) was going to pick him up at the time that he expected the tournament to conclude.

As it turned out, the tournament ended early. Alice, of course, had not arrived yet. John decided to begin walking home. He eventually met Alice enroute and she drove him the rest of the way home. They arrived home at 6 pm - 6 minutes earlier than they would have if he had just waited at the bowling alley.

Assuming that John and the car traveled at steady speeds, and that the car traveled 10 times faster than John walked:

What time would have they arrived at home if Alice had been waiting for him when the tournament ended?

[terry1966]

5.06 pm if he saved 6 minutes on the journey time then he must have been walking for 10 times that, so he walked for an hour. so if she had been waiting for him they would of got home at their usual time less 1 hr, hence my answer 5.06pm.

Edited by terry1966, 17 November 2012 - 12:14 AM.

[Tomk]

Hmmm.... That doesn't sound correct to me.

[terry1966]

seemed logical to me at the time.. second try then, 5.36pm they saved six minutes so that's 3 minutes the car would have taken to get to the alley from where she picked him up and 3 minutes back to the pick up point, so he was walking for 10 times the 3 minutes journey time he saved her to the alley, so he walked for 30 minutes. so if she had been waiting for him they would of got home at their usual time less the 30 minutes, hence my answer 5.36pm. for the record this answer also seems logical to me right or wrong.

[Tomk]

Well... would you like to check your logic one more time?

[terry1966]

ok tourny finishes at usual time, she's waiting and so they'd get home at 6.06. pm tourny finished early tho but how early? well he had time to walk a distance that saved 6 minute from the usual journey time. say the car travels at 40 mph and he walks at 4 mph and the distance to the venue is 40 miles and takes an hour each way, so she leaves at the usual time 4.06 to get there and pick him up at 5.06 and home by 6.06 but this time the journey took 1 hr and 54 minutes, 6 minutes less so means she could only travel 76 miles in that time, which is 38 miles each way. so she left at the 4.06 and it took her 57 minutes to travel 38 miles where she picked him up and 57 minutes back again arriving home at 6pm instead of the usual 6.06. pm now the man walks at 4 mph so it must have taken him 30 minutes to walk those 2 miles the car didn't need to travel to and from the venue, so the tourny must have finished 30 minutes early at 4.36 instead of 5.06. now if she had been waiting when the tourney finished at 4.36 she would still have had to drive the 40 miles back home which takes an hr and they would have gotten home at 5.36. pm. ok checked my logic and still makes sense to me so need a pointer on where i've made a mistake in my thinking, either that or you need to give an extra piece of info. and of course my last answer, for a trick question is.. IF she had been waiting for him, then that would of meant the tourny would of had to have finished at the usual time. therefore they would of gotten home at the usual time of 6.06. pm

Edited by terry1966, 19 November 2012 - 01:48 AM.

[Tomk]

now the man walks at 4 mph so it must have taken him 30 minutes to walk those 2 miles the car didn't need to travel to and from the venue, so the tourny must have finished 30 minutes early at 4.36 instead of 5.06.

Really? Are you sure that makes sense?

[terry1966]

yes if you walk at 4mph it takes 30 minutes to walk 2 miles. 30 minutes off 5.06 is 4.36. and no.. if he'd been walking for 1/2 hr how did she meet him when she'd only been driving for 30 minutes, she'd only have travelled 20 miles by then not 38. so i guess i have to ask did he stand around a bit before starting his walk? if he did then i can say the answer is 5.36 minus the 27 minutes he was standing around that she needed to travel to meet him where she did, so that's 5.09pm other wise i'm going to have to get a pen and some paper out and start doing some real calculations. think i confused myself above.. not hard i know.. lets try again she left at her usual time of 4.06 drove for 57 minutes and met him at 5.03 and got home at 6pm so the tourny must have finished at 5.03 minus the half hr he walked to get to the point where she picked him up. so the tourny finished at 4.33. if she had been waiting for him they would of gotten home at 5.33pm and that's my final answer..

Edited by terry1966, 20 November 2012 - 02:37 AM.

[Tomk]

As you have stated... they must have met when she was 3 minutes from the bowling lane, and he had been walking for 30 minutes. Therefore if she had been waiting... they would have arrived at home 27 minutes earlier (30 - 3 = 27) or 5:33 pm.

Well done terry1966!

I realize that your in the UK and probably don't have anything to be thankful about, but here you go anyway:

[terry1966]

I realize that your in the UK and probably don't have anything to be thankful about, tongue.gif but here you go anyway:

i've plenty to be thankfull for after all i could of been born a yank..

thanks for the treats they look delicious.. mmmmmmmmmmmm

can't believe what a pigs ear i made of answering that puzzle tho, (i can really ) so simple if i'd actually stopped and thought about it for just a second.

as always tomk. many thanks for coming up with these puzzles and giving my brain some much needed exercise. (as you can tell by the answers this week it needs it.)

just wish a few more people would attempt them tho, must be oldmans turn to get it right first next week.



forgot to add have a happy thanks giving.

Edited by terry1966, 21 November 2012 - 01:10 AM.