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The Trickiest and Most Mind-twisting Mathematics Questions
How good is your math? Are you up for a challenge? Try solving these riddles.
“The sign of a good maths puzzle is one where you haven’t a
clue where to begin searching for a solution – one which at first sight looks a
nightmare, and with which a further look drives one to despair” – Mr Know-it-all (2001)
Below were questions prepared and designed by me. If you can’t answer the questions, please don’t fire at me, huh…Wassup, don’t show me your sour face, smile a bit, will you?
Well, I’ve worked out these questions for certain days. Now, it’s your turn to have your mind twisted while trying to solve these Mathematical questions. I assure you that these questions will keep your brain staying active to delay aging process. Regardless of your ages, occupations, and qualifications, you’re invited to challenge yourself with these trickiest questions. Do tell me your score, por favor (“please” in Spanish)!
Now, get yourself ready, sit still, and here we go…Good luck!
Mathematics Questions
- Given that 1 = 5, 2 = 15, 3 = 125, 4 = 1235, find the value of 5
- James needs 15 days to assembly bulks of accessories for a car, but Dave needs only 12 days to accomplish the task. Now, let me ask you how much more pieces of accessories does Dave manage to accomplish as compared to James?
- Given that a + b = c = 10. Now, find the value of 2a + a + 3b.
- How to get 24 from the four whole numbers of 10,10, 10 and 3? You can apply addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to get the answer
- How to get 10 from the four whole numbers of 1,1,9 and 9?
- What’s the proper way to calculate 8-1-3x/2 = 0?
- Calculate the value of 4x³-2x²-3x+1=0
- Try to simplify this equation (10-2X)*(6-2X )*X in its mathematical form
- There’re 16 small squares in one big square. How many squares are they in total?
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Without using calculator, calculate 9,9,9 and 1 to get 100. You can apply addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to get the answer.
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Now, challenge yourself by using addition, subtraction, division or multiplication to calculate 1,3,4, and 6 to obtain 21
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Again, using addition, subtraction, division or multiplication, calculate the whole numbers of 5,6,2 and 9 to obtain 11
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How do you obtain 100 with 9,9,9 and 9? You can arrange the 9 digit in the position as you like
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How do you obtain 24 with digit numbers of 5, 5, 5 and 1?
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How do you obtain 24 with digit numbers of 3,3,8 and 8?
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Using addition, subtraction, division and multiplication, find the answer of 21 from the digit numbers of 5,5,5,5 and 5?
Note: Each question earns you 3 marks.
Answer:
- Since 1=5, the answer for 5 should be 1. Alternatively, the answer can be 12345.
- This question is easy to solve. Dave does more than James, and that means: 1/12-1/15=1/602, and the 15 here represents 1/60 as a whole. Thus, the answer is 15÷1/60=900.
- Here’s the solution: (2a + a + 3b = 3a + 3b = 3 (a + b) = 3*10 = 30). The answer is 30.
- 3 = 1 +2
10/10 = 1
1 + 1 = 2
2 + 10 = 12
12*2 = 24
5. (1 + 1/9) *9 = 10, or alternatively, √[(1+9)*(1+9)]=10
6. 8-1-3x/2=0
3x=(0+1+8)×2
3x=18
x=6
7. Let f(x) = 4x³-2x²-3x+1=0
Then, f(1) = 4(1)³-2(1)²-3(1)+1=0
Now, use (x-1) to dissolve 4x³-2x²-3x+1 into (x-1)( 4x³-2x²-3x+1)>
(x-1)( 4x³-2x²-3x+1) = 0
(x-1)[x-(-2±√20)/8 ]=0
Hence, x=1 or x=(√5-1) /4 or x=-(√5+1)/4
Alternatively,
4x^3-2x^2-3x+1=0
4x^3-4x-（x^2-x）-x^2+1=0
4x(x-1)(x+1)-x(x-1)-(x-1)(x+1)=0
(x-1)(4x^2+4x-x-x-1)=0
(x-1)(4x^2+2x-1)=0
Hence, x=1 or x=(√5-1) /4 or x=-(√5+1)/4
8. Hence, (10-2X)*(6-2X)*X=4(5-x)(3-x)x=4(x-5)(x-3)x
9. The answer for this question is 30. Let me explain. The square can be formed up into one square, four, nine and sixteen small squares. One big square has 16 small squares. Within this big square, 9 of them form up 4-square square, 4 of them form up 9-square square, and lastly 1 forms up 16-square square shape. Thus, 16 + 9 + 4 + 1 = 30.
10. There’re numerous ways to get the answer. See my calculations below:
- 9 x9 + 19 = 100
- (9+1) x (9+1) = 100
- 9*9 + 19 = 100
- 9 + 1 = 10, and 9-9 = 0, from the answers you obtained, you can combine them to get 100
11. This answer can be obtained in two ways. See my calculations below:
- (1+4)*3+6=21
- 6 x 3 + 4 -1 = 21
12. 5-6/2 + 9 = 11, or (-5 + 6) * 2 + 9 = 11
13. 9/9 + 99 = 100
14. (5-1/5)*5 = 24 or 5*5 -1^5 = 25 – 1 = 25 (5 -1/5) * 5 = 24
15. 8 ÷ (3-8 ÷3) = 24
16. There’re numerous ways to get the answer. See my calculations below:
- 5x 5-5 +5 ÷5 = 25-5+1 = 21
- 5*5-(5-5/5) = 21
- 5/5 + (5*5-5) = 21
Hmmm…how many scores are you at? More than 40…Wow, “Bravo”, “excelente”, “yoku dekimashita”, “handal”…brilliant, Hooray!!! Congratulation! You’re now almost an expert to solve the mathematical questions!
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29 Comments
Great fun in trying to figure out the answers!
Trickiest questions.
I could not even accept the answers with confidence. You are a wiz kid!
muy bueno
Forgot to say that I scored well below 40!
Yikes, these problems scare me. Great piece Chan
Ha ha ha
I worked out the answer of 12345, I solved it holistically, but then I scrolled down to tell you and I saw that you give the answers…
#2 James is lazier than Dave…heh sorry
Wow, Chan, you had us back in class. I was so glad to get out of algebra class as it was! Maybe I should email this to my algebra instructor. He actually loves the subject.
Thanks and God bless.
The answer for question 11 is 21. And the calculations are:
(1+4)*3+6=21
6 x 3 + 4 -1 = 21
I’ve submitted the fix, sorry for the typing errors.
i never really like math that much, but hey… everywhere we go, we deal with it, so i better deal with it now.
no choice.
This looks like fun, but I deserve an F. Great peice Chan!
dear chan, nice funny calculations…
Those are real brain twisters. Great article.
Wow… Nice questions. I answered only about 10 of them correctly. Great one!
the question number 9 is 30?
These are going to keep me busy for a while -a few years I should think. Great questions
Thanks Chan, for *really* making my brain ache!
)
Gosh, how I hate maths, and for most of your questions even the calculator was of no use. Now im d122y, see how dizzy, im typing numbers instead of alphabets!!
interesting,i love math sometimes,but not all the time,lol…
I’m too lazy to work all those out!
oh,it’s really tricky..good work!
Wow! Those were hard
complicated, hard and had 2 think 500 miles out of box, but plz chan name ur next next piece 16 slightly easier math qestions, but had gud fun answering :-S… so confused… only speak… fragments… days… coz hard… work out things
That was fun! Thanks!
Inna
Wow. Math problems = instant headache.
Hahah – I like Brian James’ comment *:) – - Another great article – exercising your mind will keep you young forever!
Blessings.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.
Because I went through from basic to advance math in the university, and not to appear arrogant, these questions in my opinion are not that trickiest nor the most mind-twisting.It’s only up to basic algebra in level. A beautiful and great article though.
that was was stupid
those were sooooo easy