Math Riddles

 

Question: You create your own Where's Waldo game on a piece of paper. You want your friend to find Waldo but they think you might be pulling a prank on them by not putting Waldo on the paper at all.

How can you prove to your friend that Waldo is on the paper without ruining it for them?


Question: Sum Sam and Product Pete are in class when their teacher gives Sam the Sum of two numbers and Pete the product of the same two numbers (these numbers are greater than or equal to 2). They must figure out the two numbers.

Sam: I don't know what the numbers are Pete.
Pete: I knew you didn't know the numbers... But neither do I.
Sam: In that case, I do know the numbers.

What are the numbers?

Question: Little Johnny is walking home. He has $300 he has to bring home to his mom. While he is walking a man stops him and gives him a chance to double his money. The man says "I'll give you $600 if you can roll 1 die and get a 4 or above, you can roll 2 dice and get a 5 or 6 on at least one of them, or you can roll 3 dice and get a 6 on at least on die. If you don't I get your $300."

What does Johnny do to have the best chance of getting home with the money?

Question: A hobo picks up cigarette butts from the ground and can make a cigarette with 4 butts. If he finds 16 cigarette butts, how many cigarettes can he make?

Question: Suppose you're on a game show, and you're given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a sports car; behind all of the others is bicycles. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, who knows what's behind the doors, opens another door, say No. 2, revealing a bicycle. He then says to you, "Do you want to pick door No. 3?" Is it to your advantage to switch your choice?