Guest Posted February 27, 2011 Report Share Posted February 27, 2011 Try to solve this puzzle I have been given. I have not been able to find the correct answer yet but would be interested if someone could crack it. Move only 2 match sticks to new positions to make the equation work. Rules: The cross must be considered as multiply. The final equation must retain the equals sign. No breaking sticks. No overlapping sticks. Stick layout below:- \/ x \/ = || Good luck. It is probably simple but I cannot solve it? Thanks, Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 27, 2011 Report Share Posted February 27, 2011 V + V = X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 27, 2011 Report Share Posted February 27, 2011 amateur, that doesn't follow the rules. The cross must be multiplication, and you can't cross matchsticks. This is a little loose, but it works! \/ x / = |/ What I've done is take one of the sticks away from the second V, and leave it out. Its "new position" is off the page. The remaining slanted matchstick is supposed to be a one. On the right side, I've tilted one stick to make a 5. So 5 times 1 equals 5. Loose, but it works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 V x V = ll V x 11 = X Not sure what "overlapping sticks" means, however. Does that eliminate the "X" possibility? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 In the same vain as sacohen0326 / x / / = II Very much the same as the last solution just makes it a different equation. The first matchsticks (first \/) new position is off the page (Trash can), the other (second \/) has had one matchstick flipped...... Still don't think this is the True answer though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 But the rules say to move them to "new" positions. Does that mean you can trash them? Hmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 fabpig Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 the "x" can be moved and there's enough room between the II V - V = I - I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 V x X = L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 benjer3 Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) I'd say it's V x X = L but that might be a violation of not being able to overlap matchsticks. I'm not sure exactly what that means. It might mean that you can't have a matchstick completely covered by another, which would mean the final number of lines must match the initial, since moving two match sticks to new positions implies that they should still be in the equation. I need to start writing these posts faster. Spaceball beat me to it. Edited February 28, 2011 by benjer3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 OmegaScales Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 Fools! It says to take the cross as multiplication, but it is still with matchsticks, therefore the solution can be: VI/ VI= I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 Thanks to everyone who is having a go at this. Just to clarify, the multiplication sign is not made of matchsticks and you cannot make a cross (10) as no overlapping is required. I am pretty sure removing matches is not an option although this is not mentioned. Thanks, Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) V x V=II VI / VI =I NICE ONE ! Edited February 28, 2011 by Shivam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 SoRRY I have posted it without reading your 2nd post so / x / = II -I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 I just spoke to the person who set the puzzle and was told you can cross the matchsticks but not overlap (eg.stack them on top of each other) - not too clear from the original instructions. So the solution is quite easy. \/ * X (two matches crossed) = |_ 5 times 10 = 50. Thanks for all of your efforts. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 I just spoke to the person who set the puzzle and was told you can cross the matchsticks but not overlap (eg.stack them on top of each other) - not too clear from the original instructions. So the solution is quite easy. \/ * X (two matches crossed) = |_ 5 times 10 = 50. Thanks for all of your efforts. Bob Hey! that's not fair and how can you make a multiplication sign using only two matchsticks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 benjer3 Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 I just spoke to the person who set the puzzle and was told you can cross the matchsticks but not overlap (eg.stack them on top of each other) - not too clear from the original instructions. That's what I said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 As per my last post "The multiplication sign is not made of matchsticks". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Smith Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 (edited) I'll not use a spoiler since billythefish did not... The original layout INCLUDED the multiplication sign. It's fair, Shivam. The second V becomes an X (not as in multiplication but as in roman numeral 10) by moving one side of the V on top of the other side, and the "II" (two) becomes L by moving one of the vertical sticks to the horizontal position at the bottom. So, "V x V = II" becomes "V x X = L". Two matches moved, no "overlapping" as in "concealing by stacking". By the way, SPACEBALL got it first! Welcome to Brain Den, Spaceball. Good puzzle. Edited March 7, 2011 by Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Guest
Try to solve this puzzle I have been given. I have not been able to find the correct answer yet but would be interested if someone could crack it.
Move only 2 match sticks to new positions to make the equation work.
Rules:
The cross must be considered as multiply.
The final equation must retain the equals sign.
No breaking sticks.
No overlapping sticks.
Stick layout below:-
\/ x \/ = ||
Good luck. It is probably simple but I cannot solve it?
Thanks,
Bob
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