Brain Teasers
Hans vs Heather
Hans Ernest Froopaloop, Jr. wants to drive his motorboat across a lake. At the same time, Heather wants to swim across the lake. So, Heather dons her gorgeous white string bikini and jumps into the lake at the same time Hans starts his motor.
They both follow exactly the same path and maintain a constant speed. Hans's motorboat's speed is exactly ten times as fast as Heather's swimming speed.
However, when Hans is three-quarters of the way to the destination, the motorboat runs out of gas. Then it decides to ignore Newton's First Law and immediately comes to a complete stop.
Now poor Hans has to row his boat the rest of the way. But he is such a slow rower, and Heather is such a fast swimmer, that she swims exactly four times as fast as he rows.
Who will reach the destination first?
They both follow exactly the same path and maintain a constant speed. Hans's motorboat's speed is exactly ten times as fast as Heather's swimming speed.
However, when Hans is three-quarters of the way to the destination, the motorboat runs out of gas. Then it decides to ignore Newton's First Law and immediately comes to a complete stop.
Now poor Hans has to row his boat the rest of the way. But he is such a slow rower, and Heather is such a fast swimmer, that she swims exactly four times as fast as he rows.
Who will reach the destination first?
Answer
Heather will make it first.Since Heather swims exactly four times as fast as Hans rows, it will take her as much time to swim the whole way as it will for him to row one quarter of the way, that is, from the three-quarter point to the end.
Therefore, if the motorboat's speed is anything short of infinite, Heather will reach the destination first.
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Comments
This could have been classified as a math teaser, which may have led people down a dark path of setting up equations. Including the superfluous information that the boat is ten times faster than the swimmer is good misdirection. The trick of this teaser is recognizing how easy it is.
I will be sharing this. Excellent.
I will be sharing this. Excellent.
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