Best Riddles of March 2012

the farmer needs 3 hens to produce 12 eggs in 6 days

This is a classic problem that many people get wrong because they reason that half of a hen cannot lay an egg, and a hen cannot lay half an egg. However, we can get a satisfactory solution by treating this as a purely mathematical problem where the numbers represent averages.

To solve the problem, we first need to find the rate at which the hens lay eggs. The problem can be represented by the following equation, where RATE is the number of eggs produced per hen·day:

1½ hens × 1½ days × RATE = 1½ eggs

We convert this to fractions thus:
3/2 hens × 3/2 days × RATE = 3/2 eggs

Multiplying both sides of the equation by 2/3, we get:
1 hen × 3/2 days × RATE = 1 egg

Multiplying both sides of the equation again by 2/3 and solving for RATE, we get:
RATE = 2/3 eggs per hen·day

Now that we know the rate at which hens lay eggs, we can calculate how many hens (H) can produce 12 eggs in six days using the following equation:

H hens × 6 days × 2/3 eggs per hen·day = 12 eggs

Solving for H, we get:
H = 12 eggs /(6 days × 2/3 eggs per hen·day) = 12/4 = 3 hens

Therefore, the farmer needs 3 hens to produce 12 eggs in 6 days.

Empty. (mpt, emty or mt depending on your interpretation)

5795 + 6435 + 2505 = 14735 or
5305 + 2475 + 6595 = 14375

14
If the begger can make a whole cigarette from 6 butts then he can make 12 cigarettes from the 72 he found. Once he smokes those, he then will have another 12 butts, which gives him enough to make another 2 cigarettes. A total of 14.

All the others can also be read backwards as proper words.

They all read the same rightside or upside down.

61
Reversed digits of squares of number in descending order.

Katrina is the youngest

Mushroom

99+9/9 = 100