MATH 23

LESSON 18

Puzzle pastimes
Puzzle pastimes
Most students of mathematics enjoy working with puzzles. Although these are most often
recreational in nature, nevertheless there are many other worthwhile outcomes that accrue form the
use of suitable puzzles and problems. Appropriate recreational items can be found to stimulate
intellectual curiosity, to develop abilities in space perception, to promote discovery, and to develop
modes of thinking. The major purpose for their use in the

classroom, however, is to stimulate interest in the further study in mathematics

The supply of interesting puzzles is almost endless, and the reader is

referred to the Readings on page 101 for additional sources of such items. The following list is only
representative of the type of puzzle that appears to be of interest to secondary school mathematics students.
Some of these appear again in the Exercises
How can you cook an egg for exactly 15 minutes, if all you have is a 7 minute hourglass and an 11 minute hourglass?
1.

2. Nine coins are in a bag. They all look alike, but one is counterfeit. It weighs less than the others. Use a balance
scale and find the fake coin in exactly two weighing’s
3. Use the digits 2, 3, 4,5,6,7,8, 9, and 10. Place exactly one of these in each position in the figure so
that the sum for each row, column, and diagonal is 18

4. Arrange the numerals 1 through 8 in the figure so that no two consecutive integers touch at a side
or on a corner.

5. Loosely tie together the hands of two people with one string looped around the other, as shown.
Now get them apart without untying or cutting the string. It can be done!
Activity