Brain Teasers
Two Pound Stick
Jack found a stick that weighed exactly two pounds. If Jack cut the stick into eight equal pieces, how much would each piece weigh?
Answer
Each piece would weigh just less than a quarter of a pound. (The sawdust created from the cut would cause the loss)This is similar to the situation that appeared in Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice". When Shylock won a pound of Antonio's flesh, he was allotted only the pound of flesh. This meant he could take a pound of flesh, but he could only do it on condition that he takes no blood or even a fraction more than one pound of flesh.
Hide Answer Show Answer
What Next?
View a Similar Brain Teaser...
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Solve a Puzzle
Comments
That is rubbish.
Its nothing to do with the Merchant of Venice either.
The problem in the play was that he had to cut the flesh himself, and he couldn't cut more or less than 1 pound. Obviously if he cut too much, he couldn't put it back. And he had to do this without drawing blood.
Its nothing to do with the Merchant of Venice either.
The problem in the play was that he had to cut the flesh himself, and he couldn't cut more or less than 1 pound. Obviously if he cut too much, he couldn't put it back. And he had to do this without drawing blood.
Hello? Ounces are better to use.so say a little less than 4 ounces
Here is one of Lewis Carroll's famous puzzles:
A stick I found that weighed two pound,
I sawed it up one day.
In pieces eight of equal weight,
How much did each piece weigh?
I liked it better with the rhyme!
A stick I found that weighed two pound,
I sawed it up one day.
In pieces eight of equal weight,
How much did each piece weigh?
I liked it better with the rhyme!
I have a few pounds of flesh to spare...
It never says it was cut with a saw. It could easily have been sawed through with a knife. And would therefore be arount 0.24999999 pounds each, which is close enough to one quarter.
Shouldn't this go in trick?
To post a comment, please create an account and sign in.
Follow Braingle!