Solution:

Whenever you are offered such a problem, it is wiser to think in a linear way first. We know that 3 +1 will be four which is half of the number on the right hand side.
So the equation is now
(3+1) 3 6 = 8

Now look at the other two digits 3 and 6. 3 is half of 6. Let us put a division sign in between and you will get 1/2 as the answer.
The equation is now
(3+1) (3/6) = 8 ==> 4 1/2 = 8

Let us put a division sign in between and that will solve the problem.

(3+1) / (3/6) = 8

Solve the equation and you will get 8 = 8.

Solution:

Put one black rock in one sack and put all the rest in the other one. In such manner you will get about 3/4 probability of surviving.

Solution:

45 minutes

Explanation :
All you have to do is burn the first rope from both the ends and the second rope from one end only simultaneously. The first rope will burn in 30 minutes (half of an hour since we burned from both sides) while the other rope would have burnt half. At this moment, light the second rope from the other end as well. Where, the second rope would have taken half an hour more to burn completely, it will take just 15 minutes as we have lit it from the other end too.

Thus you have successfully calculated 30+15 = 45 minutes with the help of the two given ropes.

Solution:

The answer is very simple. All she had to do is take the fifteen cards from the top and reverse them. This would make another pile out of that and there will be two piles - one of 15 cards and one of 37 cards. Also both of them will have the same number of inverted cards.

Just think about it and if the mathematical explanation will help you understand better, here it is.
Assume that there were p inverted cards initially in the top 15 cards. Then the remaining 37 cards will hold 15-p inverted cards.
Now when she reverses the 15 cards on the top, the number of inverted cards will become 15-p and thus the number of inverted cards in both of the piles will become same.

Solution:

9

Explanation:
2 < 3 < 5
To find out the required number of candies, take one in place of the least number (i.e. take one mango candy) and then add all the greater numbers (i.e. three strawberry and five pineapple candies) to it.

Required number of balls = 1 + 3 + 5 = 9.

Solution:

One of the cop will move clockwise while the other will move anti-clockwise every day. In such a manner, they will catch the thief in minimum seven days.

Solution:

Step 5 is invalid, because we are dividing by (x-y), and since x=y, we are thus dividing by 0. This is an invalid mathematical operation (division by 0), and so by not following basic mathematical rules

Solution:

The probability of two numbers being relatively prime is 60%. Thus if you keep playing the bet, you will hypothetically make 20 cents on every play.

Thus, you should accept the bet.

Solution:

There are two things to keep in mind:
Firstly there is at least one red hat. (There can be two or three as well).
Secondly the competition is fair for everyone.

Thus if there is only one red hat, that person will see two green hats on other heads and will be able to deduce his own color as red. However the other students will see one red and one green hat and can never be sure. In such manner, the competition will prove to be partial for one student.

Suppose if there are two red hats. Then the students who are wearing red hats will see one red and one green hat on others. Now they must have deduced that there can’t be just one red hat. Thus they will know that they are also wearing a red hat. But the one who is wearing a green hat will see two red hats and can never be sure of his own color. In this case as well, the competition will not be fair.

Thus the only possible and fair means is if all of them are wearing a red hat. The one who is able to deduce the situation first, will raise his hand and will tell the correct answer.

Solution:

Playing chess

Game needs two players so Brother-8 is playing chess with Brother-2

Solution:

17 mins

The initial solution most people will think of is to use the fastest person as an usher to guide everyone across. How long would that take? 10 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 2 = 21 mins. Is that it? No. That would make this question too simple even as a warm up question.

Let’s brainstorm a little further. To reduce the amount of time, we should find a way for 10 and 7 to go together. If they cross together, then we need one of them to come back to get the others. That would not be ideal. How do we get around that? Maybe we can have 1 waiting on the other side to bring the torch back. Ahaa, we are getting closer. The fastest way to get 1 across and be back is to use 2 to usher 1 across. So let’s put all this together.

1 and 2 go cross
2 comes back
7 and 10 go across
1 comes back
1 and 2 go across (done)

Total time = 2 + 2 + 10 + 1 + 2 = 17 mins