Solution:

Four

As the window was closed it is obvious that the six candles that were not extinguished were lit till they melted away entirely. Thus only four candles that were extinguished remain at the end.

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

Solution:

Both will rotate at Same speed.

Explanation:
Gears of the same size will always rotate at constant speeds despite any smaller or larger gears in between them.

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:

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:

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:

23rd day

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 + 13 + 14 + 15 + 16 + 17 + 18 + 19 + 20 + 21 + 22 + 23 = 276

Thus our anniversary falls on the 23rd day of the month.

You can apply other formulas to shorten the process but that is the simplest way to do it.

Solution:

The answer is 2. First, divide the coins into 3 equal piles. Place a pile on each side of the scale, leaving the remaining pile of 3 coins off the scale. If the scale does not tip, you know that the 6 coins on the scale are legitimate, and the counterfeit is in the pile in front of you. If the scale does tip, you know the counterfeit is in the pile on the side of the scale that raised up. Either way, put the 6 legitimate coins aside. Having only 3 coins left, put a coin on each side of the scale, leaving the third in front of you. The same process of elimination will find the counterfeit coin.

Solution:

If you are thinking to hold one chocolate from each box in hand and then balancing weight in bare hands, you are thinking all wrong.

Let us begin by labelling boxes as 1, 2, 3 and so on till 10.

Now pick one chocolate from box 1, two chocolates from box 2, three from box 3 and so on. In total, you will have 55 chocolates now. (1 + 2 + 3 + ..... + 10)

The ideal weight of the chocolates should be 55 * 20 = 1100. However, somewhere in there are the defected chocolate/s.

You can judge that clearly by noting down the result of 1100 - total weight of chocolates. If the weight is less than 1 gram, the defected box is box 1, if the weight is less than 2 grams, the defected box is box 2 and so on.

Solution:

Solution can be verified from the picture below.