Brain Teasers
Menacing Matchsticks V
Trick
Trick brain teasers appear difficult at first, but they have a trick that makes them really easy.Trick
You will need thirteen matchsticks for this teaser. Using all of the matchsticks, make the number 631, as the number would appear digitally.
Now, as the fifth Menacing Matchsticks teaser, try to move only two matchsticks to make exactly 5!
You cannot:
Bend or break the matchsticks.
Stack the matchsticks.
Remove the matchsticks.
Now, as the fifth Menacing Matchsticks teaser, try to move only two matchsticks to make exactly 5!
You cannot:
Bend or break the matchsticks.
Stack the matchsticks.
Remove the matchsticks.
Hint
A different viewing angle will also assist you.Also, look carefully at punctuation.
Answer
Step 1: Turn the 6 into a 0.Step 2: Turn the 3 into a 2.
View the matchsticks upside-down. You should get 120, or 5! (5 factorial).
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Comments
i never would have gotten that. i knew that the "!" had something to do with it, but at teh risk of sounding like an idiot, i don't know what factoral is still, i had fun trying to do it though! very good
Lol, apparently I'm not thinking too well this morning. Factorial!
Great teaser!
Great teaser!
Sorry, this one went right over my head because I could my 631 I only used 12 matchsticks to make. I too am having problems with factorial????
In mathematics, the factorial of a positive integer n is the product of all positive integers less than or equal to n. This is written as n! and pronounced "n factorial", or colloquially "n shriek", "n bang" or "n crit". The notation n! was introduced by Christian Kramp in 1808. I looked it up since I was so unsure of myself. No wonder I didn't know - this is definitely outside my data base. Never have been good with math, let alone integers. Sorry
vlerma, for the 1, you need 2 matchsticks (look at a digital clock). Was that your problem?
This was actually a really fun teaser, even though I didn't get the answer. It went into my favorites!
This was actually a really fun teaser, even though I didn't get the answer. It went into my favorites!
And I thought that i was the only one who knew what a factorial was. Very clever.
Cool, One of the best teasers I have ever seen on Braingle.
Definitely one of my favorites.
Definitely one of my favorites.
SO EASY....i dont know why its difficulty rating is so high....i got this one so quickly and im only 13! (and not 13 factorial)
That was another great matchstick teaser!
Funny, and hard!
Ignoring the factorial what if you moved the top and bottom of three to make the 3 a + and the 1 a -1 ?
wow i worked soooo hard... I knew ! was a hint but who could've guessed that it was for factorial... lost 13 sticks here lol
I knew it was factorial but I forgot what factorial was!
What's a factorial? It's June... How am I supposed to remember that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Jun 12, 2007
If you space the numbers out far enough you can easily take apart the 1 and make the 6 an 8 and add a minus sign 8-3=5 simple
Wow, I found this really easy and really fun. I loved it. =D
Thank god for Algebra II.
Thank god for Algebra II.
Vlerma, factorial has next to nothing to do with integers. It only requires the knowledge of counting numbers. And Winner, I don't think the 1 matters much, since it stays the same. So, vlerma, using 12 matchsticks is a bad excuse for not getting it.
I know I'm over a year too late, but shouldn't this be in the Math section?
What on earth is a factorial?!
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