Brain Teasers

seraphim · not so newbie quizzer Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 36

20 volumes of an encyclopedia are on a shelf in normal numerical order from left to right. Each outside cover of each volume is 1/4 inch thick and the pages of each volume are 1 and a 1/2 inches thick. A bookworm starts burrowing on page 1 of volume 5 and stops after the last page of volume 15. Assuming he moves in a perfectly straight horizontal line, what distance has he travelled in total?

In a tennis doubles match which is won by a score of 6/1 6/1 what theoretically is the fewest number of times that any one given player needs to hit the ball?

wildrover · Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 1:05 pm Post subject:

1. 20 inches
2. 12 is the minimum I can see.

Savage Hamster · Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 9:29 pm Post subject:

I make the worm problem 18.5 inches - he only goes through the front cover of book 5 and the back cover of book 15, plus all of the nine books in between
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Jimbo53 · pro quizzer Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 117 Location: Devon

1. 18 and a half inches - 9 volumes and 20 covers.
2.12

wildrover · Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 10:05 pm Post subject:

Yep, you're right Sav.

Buzzie · Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 10:45 pm Post subject:

2. 4

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wildrover · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 10:03 am Post subject:

I'm assuming there must be a catch in number 2 otherwise it's pretty trivial (mind you #1 was trivial and I mucked that up). My guess of 12 comes from one player serving in games 4, 8 and 12 and winning his partner's game on aces and opponents' games on double faults. Now given that the score is 6-1, 6-1 his side can lose 2 games - if you're allowed to forfeit a game without playing a shot then your answer is correct but I don't think the rules allow you to do that without being forced to retire.

IAN B · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 9:10 am Post subject:

To complete two 6-1 sets each player must serve at least three games, so assumint that every game is won to love, the minimum is 12 (by posibly both players on the losing team).