Solution:

Let us first assume that the number of drops required are N.

If the egg breaks at maximum number of tries, we will have N - 1 drops till it does not break. Thus we must drop the first egg from the height N. Now if the first drop of the first egg does not break the egg, we can have N - 2 drops for the second egg if the first egg breaks in the second drop.

Let us put that into a valid example for better understanding. Suppose we need 16 drops. Now let us drop the egg from the sixteenth floor, if it breaks, we will try all the floors below sixteen. Suppose it does not breaks, then we have 15 drops left and we will drop it from 16+15+1 = 32nd floor. This is because if it breaks at 32nd floor, we can try all the way down to 17th floor in fourteen tries making the total tries to be 16.

Let us assume that 16 is the correct answer

1 + 15 16 if breaks at 16 checks from 1 to 15 in 15 drops
1 + 14 31 if breaks at 31 checks from 17 to 30 in 14 drops
1 + 13 45.....
1 + 12 58
1 + 11 70
1 + 10 81
1 + 9 91
1 + 8 100 we can easily do in the end as we have enough drops to complete the task.

Seeking the above case, we must note that we have achieved it in 14 or 14 drops but we still need to find out the optimal one. We know from above that the optimal one will require 0 linear trials in the last step.

Thus we can say that

(1+p) + (1+ (p-1)) + (1+ (p-2)) + .........+ (1+0) >= 100.

Let 1+p=q which is the answer we are looking for

q (q+1)/2 >=100

q=14

Thus the optimal number of drops required are 14.

Drops will be tried at floor number 14, 27, 39, 50, 60, 69, 77, 84, 90, 95, 99, 100. How? Just move up 14, 13, 12 .... Floor till it breaks or does not.

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:

So that the following plan can be followed, let us number the coins from 1 to 12. For the first weighing let us put on the left pan coins 1,2,3,4 and on the right pan coins 5,6,7,8.

There are two possibilities. Either they balance, or they don't. If they balance, then the different coin is in the group 9,10,11,12. So for our second one possibility is to weigh 9,10,11 against 1,2,3

(1) They balance, in which case you know 12 is the different coin, and you just weigh it against any other to determine whether it is heavy or light.
(2) 9,10,11 is heavy. In this case, you know that the different coin is 9, 10, or 11, and that that coin is heavy. Simply weigh 9 against 10; if they balance, 11 is the heavy coin. If not, the heavier one is the heavy coin.
(3) 9,10,11 is light. Proceed as in the step above, but the coin you're looking for is the light one.

That was the easy part.

What if the first weighing 1,2,3,4 vs 5,6,7,8 does not balance? Then any one of these coins could be the different coin. Now, in order to proceed, we must keep track of which side is heavy for each of the following weighings.

Suppose that 5,6,7,8 is the heavy side. We now weigh 1,5,6 against 2,7,8. If they balance, then the different coin is either 3 or 4. Weigh 4 against 9, a known good coin. If they balance then the different coin is 3, otherwise it is 4. The direction of the tilts can tell us whwther the offending coin is heavier or lighter.

Now, if 1,5,6 vs 2,7,8 does not balance, and 2,7,8 is the heavy side, then either 7 or 8 is a different, heavy coin, or 1 is a different, light coin.

For the third weighing, weigh 7 against 8. Whichever side is heavy is the different coin. If they balance, then 1 is the different coin. Should the weighing of 1,5, 6 vs 2,7,8 show 1,5,6 to be the heavy side, then either 5 or 6 is a different heavy coin or 2 is a light different coin. Weigh 5 against 6. The heavier one is the different coin. If they balance, then 2 is a different light coin.

Solution:

At each draw, the number of strawberry candies are either decreasing by 2 or not decreasing at all. In the case of orange candies, at each draw, they are either increasing by 1 or decreasing by 1.

Thus on an assumed outset with at least one candy in the jar to begin with, if the number of strawberry candies are 0 or are even in numbers, they will finish off leaving an orange candy at the end. If otherwise, the remaining candy will be a strawberry one.

Solution:

Read the question carefully again. New Year do falls after Christmas but that happens if two different years. The question is put up against the year 2050 and thus there will be 51 weeks and 2 days in between them as New Year will appear on 1 January 2050 and Christmas will happen on 25 December 2050.

Solution:

17 min

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 minutes. 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 minutes

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:

This is more of a philosophical question than being a riddle or a puzzle. The action of Brian directly led to the result which is the death of Chris. Thus he murdered Chris. In a sense, Chris died due to the lack of water. It is the circumstances that ultimately led to his death.

Solution:

1. Fill 5 liters jar ( 5l-jar:5, 3l-jar:0)
2. Transfer to 3 liters pail (5l-jar:2, 3l-jar:3)
3. Empty 3 liters jar ( 5l-jar:2, 3l-jar:0)
4. Transfer 2q from 5 pail to 3 pail (5l-jar:0, 3l-jar:2)
5. Fill 5 liters pail(5l-jar:5, 3l-jar:2)
6. Transfer 1q from 5 pail to 3 pail(5l-jar:4, 3l-jar:3)

Solution:

Solution can be verified from the picture below.

Solution:

It is best if the person sits on the back of the train. After the stop, the train will be accelerating as it goes into the tunnel. Thus the train will be much master when the back of the train enters the tunnel. In this way, he will have to spend much less time in the tunnel.