[Guest]

"Give me a pack of

Fumeroles, please," said the customer to the young man in the

cigar store. "And how much are those Sure-Fire lighters?"

"One Sure-Fire lighter buys three packs of Fumeroles," was

the reply.

"Well, give me a lighter. How much is that?"

"The total of the digits of what you owe me is 14," said the

facetious young man.

The customer didn't attempt to puzzle that out, but merely

gave the clerk a dollar bill and accepted his change.

What is the cost of a Sure-Fire lighter?

[Guest]

51 cents for the lighter

17 cents per pack

[Guest]

5+1 doesn't equal 14. In fact I don't find any number less than $1 and divisible by three whose digits add to 14

51 cents for the lighter

17 cents per pack

[Guest]

17+51=68 6+8=14

Edited August 11, 2010 by docbagby

[Guest]

This was copied word-for-word out of a book of mathematical puzzles.

[Guest]

5+1 doesn't equal 14. In fact I don't find any number less than $1 and divisible by three whose digits add to 14

You divide by 4, not 3

S=3F

4F= number whose digits equal 14...

The rest of the logic has been neatly explained already.

[Guest]

Does the lighter cost 24 cents?

2+4+8=14

"Give me a pack of

Fumeroles, please," said the customer to the young man in the

cigar store. "And how much are those Sure-Fire lighters?"

"One Sure-Fire lighter buys three packs of Fumeroles," was

the reply.

"Well, give me a lighter. How much is that?"

"The total of the digits of what you owe me is 14," said the

facetious young man.

The customer didn't attempt to puzzle that out, but merely

gave the clerk a dollar bill and accepted his change.

What is the cost of a Sure-Fire lighter?

[Guest]

1 pack of Fumeroles 14¾¢

1 SureFire lighter  44¼¢

total...............59 ¢ [5+9 = 14]


1 pack of Fumeroles 17 ¢

1 SureFire lighter  51 ¢

total...............68 ¢ [6+8 = 14]


1 pack of Fumeroles 19¼¢

1 SureFire lighter  57¾¢

total...............77 ¢ [7+7 = 14]


1 pack of Fumeroles 21½¢

1 SureFire lighter  64½¢

total...............86 ¢ [8+6 = 14]


1 pack of Fumeroles 23¾¢

1 SureFire lighter  71¼¢

total...............95 ¢ [9+5 = 14]

I did not list all possible combinations, but only show those that could be represented with vulgar fractions which, though uncommon, are not void of being used in some stores. It would seem with inflated costs, the last one given should be the most likely answer, though it would be more likely, with most of the world absent of math-sense, the answer to be 51 cents.

Edited August 11, 2010 by Dej Mar

[Guest]

we have to find digits below ten whose sum comes to 14 and their combination is divided by four. Only combination are:

5,9 and 6,8 and 7,7. Out of these only combination 6 and 8 i.e. 68 is divided by 4.

So the answer is 51 and 17

Edited August 11, 2010 by sak_lko

[Guest]

we have to find digits below ten whose sum comes to 14 and their combination is divided by four. Only combination are:

5,9 and 6,8 and 7,7. Out of these only combination 6 and 8 i.e. 68 is divided by 4.

So the answer is 51 and 17

You mean divisible by 4 , and the answer is 51 .

It is the most common assumption that you meant the numbers representing the costs to be positive integers. But for a single solution being sought, it is not unreasonable that the values could be fractions.

It is a good puzzle.

Edited August 11, 2010 by Dej Mar

[Quantum.Mechanic]

This was copied word-for-word out of a book of mathematical puzzles.

I have that book too! It's really old, somewhere at home on the "Cherished Books" shelf. Was it A. K. Dudeney?

[Guest]

I have that book too! It's really old, somewhere at home on the "Cherished Books" shelf. Was it A. K. Dudeney?

I don't remember the author and title of the book, but read it somewhere over internet.. thought it'd be interesting to share this one

[Guest]

1 pack of Fumeroles 14¾¢

1 SureFire lighter  44¼¢

total...............59 ¢ [5+9 = 14]


1 pack of Fumeroles 17 ¢

1 SureFire lighter  51 ¢

total...............68 ¢ [6+8 = 14]


1 pack of Fumeroles 19¼¢

1 SureFire lighter  57¾¢

total...............77 ¢ [7+7 = 14]


1 pack of Fumeroles 21½¢

1 SureFire lighter  64½¢

total...............86 ¢ [8+6 = 14]


1 pack of Fumeroles 23¾¢

1 SureFire lighter  71¼¢

total...............95 ¢ [9+5 = 14]

I did not list all possible combinations, but only show those that could be represented with vulgar fractions which, though uncommon, are not void of being used in some stores. It would seem with inflated costs, the last one given should be the most likely answer, though it would be more likely, with most of the world absent of math-sense, the answer to be 51 cents.

Edited August 15, 2010 by JerameW