The Break Room
(Issue 14, 2009)

BrainTeaser Answers
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1.) Chain Bane

Two pieces of chain were left over after a new piece of AutomationDirect’s automation equipment was installed in the factory. The links were circular, uniform in size and shape and made from ½ inch thick metal. One piece was exactly 3 feet long, the other 22” in length. The longer piece had 6 more links than the shorter, how many links were in each piece of chain?

Answer:

After the first link, each successive link of a chain adds it’s own diameter less 2 thicknesses of the metal to the overall length of a chain.  So the additional 6 links, which add 14 inches to the length of the shorter chain give us
6(x-2(.5))= 14 or a link diameter of 3.33 inches.  Thus the 22 inch section has 9 links and the 36” section contains 15 links.

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2.) Drop Me a Letter

Can you think of a nine English letter word that continues to be a valid word as you remove letters one by one, all the way down to a single letter? There are several ;-)

Answer: The typical answer for this puzzle is “Startling”, but several others are also known.  Some people don’t like the answers that use plurals as much as the singular words – but we didn’t specify this in the question.  Some of these nine-letter words could be 10 letter solutions if their plurals are used.

If you have thought of others, please leave a comment…

Startling, Starting, Staring, String, Sting, Sing, Sin, In, I
Stringier, Stringer, Stinger, Singer, Singe, Sine, Sin, In, I
Splitting, Slitting, Sitting, Siting, Sting, Sing, Sin, In, I
Scrapping, Crapping, Rapping, Raping, Aping, Ping, Pin, In, I
Strapping, Trapping, Rapping, Raping, Aping, Ping, Pin, In, I
Trappings, Trapping, Rapping, Raping, Aping, Ping, Pin, In, I
Wrappings, Wrapping, Rapping, Rapping, Aping, Ping, Pin, In, I
Cleansers, Cleanser, Cleanse, Cleans, Clans, Cans, Can, An, A
Splatters, Splatter, Platter, Latter, Later, Late, Ate, At, A
Replanted, Replated, Related, Elated, Elate, Late, Ate, At, A
Restarted, Restated, Restate, Estate, State, Sate, Ate, At, A
Drownings, Drowning, Downing, Owning, Owing, Wing, Win, In, I
Starvings, Starving, Staring, String, Sting, Ting, Tin, In, I
Discusses, Discuses, Discuss, Discus  , Discs, Disc, Dis, Is, I
Streambed, Streamed, Steamed, Teamed, Tamed, Tame, Tam, Am, A

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3.) Hex Vex

Shown below are 6 cable ties forming a regular hexagon. Can you add three cable-ties, and arrange all nine to form another six-sided figure? No stacking or loose ends allowed.

Answer:

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