37 replies to this topic

[Sunyata]

The reading backwards thing was actually your idea from the last match stick puzzle, Chrissy. If my configuration wins, you get the cookie

[Sunyata]

actually, I didn't have the right number of zeros. The answer is even smaller: 1/10001

[Tomk]

Very ingenious all.

However, in this problem you must use the picture as given... No "mirror image" or looking upside down.

Also... remember the result is multiplied by a factor of 10 for each match removed. i.e.: if you get to one and have removed only one match... you multiply by ten to get ten. If you get to one and removed 2 matches - you multiply by 10 for the first match, (to 10) and then multiply by ten for the second match to get 100. three matches removed would get you 1000.

[chrissy72]

rshaffer I was taking 1/1001 as being 1 divided by 1001 which gives us a number below 0, but Tomk has stipulated that the answer must be above 0. But as he has now stipulated that its not back to front or upside down I guess its irrelevant anyway haahaa. Back to the drawing board I guess lol.

[Sunyata]

back to the drawing board

[chrissy72]

Ok last guess before bed. Remove the first and last matchstick to give us 4 (000 and then the roman numerals IV) 2 matches moved equals 100 times by the answer of 4 which would be 400. I know the answer is going to be smaller than this but its teh best I can come up with at this time of the night lol. The only other thing Im seeing here is 1000M and M in roman numerals equals 1000. No matchsticks are moved but Im too tired to see that exactly fitting in to the answer. Goodluck and heres hoping somebody hits it overnight

[Sunyata]

Ok. Unlike Terry, I'm going to guess the "M" stands for Million. So, we have one thousand million, or one billion. The lowest number I can see so far is to remove the four match sticks composing the "M." That multiplies the 1000 left by 10,000 giving 10,000,000. Not as small as my previous guess, but still less than a billion

[Tomk]

I was taking 1/1001 as being 1 divided by 1001 which gives us a number below 0

Really??? Below 0???

Even though this isn't the "correct" answer... I'm pretty sure that 1/1001 (.000999001) is a positive number.

I'm thinking that you meant to say it was less than one.

[Tomk]

I suggest that if anybody is still playing along... you consider your options for units.

[Sunyata]

If I get your hint right, I should read the puzzle as "1000 meters." Then if the rightmost match stick of the last zero is removed, we have "100 cm," or 100 centimeters. Multiply by 10 for the one matchstick removal, we have 1000 centimeters.

[Tomk]

So it would look like this?


100 cm is 1/1000 the length of 1000m. Multiplied by 10 you are still only 1/100th the length.

That is the answer I had. Can anybody do better?

[chrissy72]

uno i looked at it from the cm perspective but thought no that would still come out as 1000, didnt even think about converting it back to metres lol doh! Well done Rshaffer. Ok, now im gunna give thinking right outside of the box a go. Lol. 1000 metres is equivalant to 1 kilometre. If we were to read cm as cubic metres instead of centimetres, 100 cubic metres is 1/1 000 000 000 of a cubic kilometre. I think thats right, never was good with measurements. BTW this isnt a serious answer, just a preview of how my mind can take something and run far far away with it

Edited by chrissy72, 01 June 2011 - 06:29 PM.

[terry1966]

i think you'll find 1000 nm is smaller tomk.

http://faculty.clint...tric_System.htm

Unit Length
kilometer (km) 1,000 m (1 X 103 m)
meter (m) 1 m
centimeter (cm) 0.01 m (1 X 10-2 m)
millimeter (mm) 0.001 m (1 X 10-3 m)
micrometer (um) 0.000001 m (1 X 10-6 m)
nanometer (nm) 0.000000001 m (1 X 10-9 m)

[Tomk]

I'm game... which matchsticks do we need to remove to get to nano meters

[terry1966]

instead of removing the match to make the c, remove the bottom one from that 0 to make a n. 100nm x 10 for the 1 removed match = 1000nm