I'm posting one puzzle, riddle, math, or statistical problem a day. Try to answer each one and post your answers in the comments section. I'll post the answer the next day. Even if you have the same answer as someone else, feel free to put up your answer, too!
Friday, May 15, 2009
MzzLily Asked a Question
A man buys 10 trees. He leaves instructions for them to be planted in 5 rows with 4 trees in each row. How is this possible?
Right I've just scribbled some stuff down and here's my answer. They've gotta be planted in five rows that overlap each other so you end up with something that looks like a 5-point star right?
hmm, my spacing for the number was removed, anyways, draw a 5 pointed star. with it pointing north. At the intersection when 2 lines crossed, make a point, you should have a total of 10 points from top down, left to right, assign a number to it. you should have the numbers as written in he previous comment.
Join the lines (=
PS I know the description of method sux, but my brain kinda slow at the moment, unable to put my ideas into words (=
This is the field. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This is the field with the trees. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXoXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXoXXXXoXXXoXXXXoXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXoXXXXXXXXXoXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXoXXXXXXXXXXXX XXoXXXXXXXXXXXXXXoXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The "o" represents the trees. This good representation?
-- "5 Rows" is the name of the town he wants them planted them in, and there are only two available rows in that town, so there are enough tree for two rows of four plus two left over for hanging his hammock
Dude, Mike...40 comments? And that's the fewest over the last 4 posts, topping out at 67? What is going on? I've been gone for a while, and the place explodes. You need to ask some really tricky math questions or something :)
Hey Abe, I got mentioned at blogs of note: http://blogsofnote.blogspot.com/2009/05/question-of-day.html, that's what happened. So, what you're seeing is a huge inrush of new readers (Yay!!!!). It's been a bit overwhelming.
I'll be posting some of the questions people have been submitting over the next few days, but don't worry. I'll post a nice tricky math problem soon just for you.
I give my answer in the comments, which gives others a chance to read and make their own guess before finding the answer. I may need to change that policy given the number of comments I'm receiving. But for now, just look for my comments to find the answer the next day.
A man buys 10 trees. He leaves instructions for them to be planted in 5 rows with 4 trees in each row. How is this possible?I admire the answer that Ad placed because it SEEMS to make sense but if you look at the question, it requires that EACH ROW has FOUR trees.
Even if Ad made it into a star, not ALL rows will have FOUR trees. So, it's kinda null and void, don't you think? Since the question asked for 5 rows with 4 trees each aka
i thought of a pentagram with ten intersections and four points along each of the five lines so five rows of four creating a pentagram of ten points. ad williams got it first! you'd think he'd have something better to do...i really don't and i'm not even particularly inclined to exhibiting my wits
Leave your answer or, if you want to post a question of your own, send me an e-mail. Look in the about section to find my e-mail address. If it's new, I'll post it soon.
Please don't leave spam or 'Awesome blog, come visit mine' messages. I'll delete them soon after.
Of the existing rows, those with 4 trees presently will have an additional 2 trees added??????
ReplyDeleteRight I've just scribbled some stuff down and here's my answer. They've gotta be planted in five rows that overlap each other so you end up with something that looks like a 5-point star right?
ReplyDeletesplit each tree in 2... they will grow normally ^^
ReplyDeleteAd Williams's answer is really good. I think he might be right!
ReplyDeleteSomething like this i suppose
ReplyDelete1
2 3 4 5
6 7
8
9 10
if u can vision it probably
the 5 lines are
- 1369
- 2345
- 5789
- 2680
- 1470
Yeah, brilliant, Ad. Two concentric pentagons forming a star.
ReplyDeleteI think there have to be existing rows. But Ad Williams is a lot more creative than I.
ReplyDeletehmm, my spacing for the number was removed,
ReplyDeleteanyways, draw a 5 pointed star. with it pointing north.
At the intersection when 2 lines crossed, make a point, you should have a total of 10 points
from top down, left to right, assign a number to it. you should have the numbers as written in he previous comment.
Join the lines
(=
PS I know the description of method sux, but my brain kinda slow at the moment, unable to put my ideas into words (=
xxxx
ReplyDeletexxxx
xx
xx
Two vertical rows, two horizontal rows, and one diagonal row. The puzzle did not say that the rows couldn't overlap.
................X
ReplyDelete.
.
X.........X.......X.........X
.
.........X.............X
.
................X
.
....X.........................X
He went back and bought ten more trees. :D
ReplyDeleteIt's in a U shape. Four trees from top left to bottom left, then another three accross the bottom, then another three to form the last arm of the U.
ReplyDeleteOK my answer only had three rows. Dang!
ReplyDeleteim confused haha
ReplyDeletei'm just plain confused like Brittney lol
ReplyDeleteThis is the field.
ReplyDeleteXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This is the field with the trees.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXoXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXoXXXXoXXXoXXXXoXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXoXXXXXXXXXoXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXoXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXoXXXXXXXXXXXXXXoXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The "o" represents the trees.
This good representation?
hmmmm... ooh how about buy 10 get 10 free??
ReplyDeleteHe already had ten trees.
ReplyDeletehe gave instructions to the trees???????????????how is this possible???????//so the answer is that trees cannot plant themselves
ReplyDeleteNot sure..... I like Ad Williams's answer best
ReplyDeleteDavid - Nothing personal, but that representation is almost as hard to get as the question itself.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think it's either the star and/or Pizza Girl's solution.
Hope I don't dream about tree-planting...
The star formation is the correct answer. A five-point star.
ReplyDeletehe buys a chainsaw
ReplyDeleteO.M.
They trees are each planted at the intersections of the lines in a pentagram
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe star thing is cool and seems to work, but I suppose it could be he just already had some trees.
ReplyDeleteThe star formation is way more brilliant though.
I vote for the star!
ReplyDelete(Click below for the scribbled answer!)
ReplyDeletehttp://satireandice.blogspot.com/2009/05/youre-star.html
wow, whoever thought of that star answer, bravo!
ReplyDeletethe best think i could up with was
-- "5 Rows" is the name of the town he wants them planted them in, and there are only two available rows in that town, so there are enough tree for two rows of four plus two left over for hanging his hammock
What is this?
ReplyDeleteFUNEX
SVFX
ILFMNX
(To Marilyn Vos Savant.)
hm, interesting.... so...what-s the combination?
ReplyDeletethe star idea seems the best, good work
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteX
ReplyDeleteX
X
X X X X
.........X
.........X
.........X
It's a star. My husband got it in about ten seconds. My brain doesn't work like that.
ReplyDeletehe had already got 10 more trees! m.p.d.
ReplyDeleteTdeS: it has to be five rows, and thats only three
ReplyDeleteHello ... new reader loved the blog ...
ReplyDeleteas the question ad_willians and agree with his theory of the stars of five points.
Ad Williams is right, thumbs up.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes it tricky and confusing is the terms "row" because we usually thinks that a row as up down line.
Regards,
Just read this blog and can't wait to find more brainteaser. Thanks a lot.
Dude, Mike...40 comments? And that's the fewest over the last 4 posts, topping out at 67? What is going on? I've been gone for a while, and the place explodes. You need to ask some really tricky math questions or something :)
ReplyDeleteHey Abe,
ReplyDeleteI got mentioned at blogs of note: http://blogsofnote.blogspot.com/2009/05/question-of-day.html, that's what happened. So, what you're seeing is a huge inrush of new readers (Yay!!!!). It's been a bit overwhelming.
I'll be posting some of the questions people have been submitting over the next few days, but don't worry. I'll post a nice tricky math problem soon just for you.
easy, he stole the rest
ReplyDeleteThe answers of star formation is the best and also the correct one!
ReplyDeletevery interesting - thanks
ReplyDeleteThe 5-point star is a brilliant idea.
ReplyDeleteMzzLilly was kind enough to already post the answer. A 5 point star is the answer.
ReplyDeleteWhere do we find your answers Mike?
ReplyDeleteI give my answer in the comments, which gives others a chance to read and make their own guess before finding the answer. I may need to change that policy given the number of comments I'm receiving. But for now, just look for my comments to find the answer the next day.
ReplyDelete*
ReplyDelete* * * *
* *
*
* *
May be so? Star with pentagon inside.
Trees in tops of petagon and tops of star.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteA man buys 10 trees. He leaves instructions for them to be planted in 5 rows with 4 trees in each row. How is this possible?I admire the answer that Ad placed because it SEEMS to make sense but if you look at the question, it requires that EACH ROW has FOUR trees.
ReplyDeleteEven if Ad made it into a star, not ALL rows will have FOUR trees. So, it's kinda null and void, don't you think? Since the question asked for 5 rows with 4 trees each aka
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX
Although, I do like Ad's answer. Keep it up.
i thought of a pentagram with ten intersections and four points along each of the five lines so five rows of four creating a pentagram of ten points. ad williams got it first! you'd think he'd have something better to do...i really don't and i'm not even particularly inclined to exhibiting my wits
ReplyDeletehe just bought the trees, it's not saying the trees were cutted! and how is that possible? u can't plant a fully grown tree. xD
ReplyDeleteDraw a Star with 5 sides, and place the stars on the ends and intersections....
ReplyDelete1
ReplyDelete/ \
2----3----4----5
\ / \ /
6 7
/\ /\
/ \ / \
/ 8 \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
9 / \10
i tried hard to make it.i hope u understand.thank you