Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
#1221610
07/01/20 10:12 PM
07/01/20 10:12 PM
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 10,709 Minnesota, USA
Sherlock
OP
Adept Boomer
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OP
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Posts: 10,709
Minnesota, USA
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Can you find the answer to this puzzle? For some fun, for the first 24 hours, please put your answer in a spoiler.
Last edited by Sherlock; 07/03/20 10:36 PM.
The best math you can learn is how to calculate the future cost of current decisions.
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Sherlock]
#1221613
07/02/20 01:35 AM
07/02/20 01:35 AM
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 11,891 Isle of Man
Lex
Adept Boomer
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Isle of Man
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The clock face is the hour shown, so 9 + the calculator is the total of the digits added up, so 9 again x 3 lightbulbs each showing 4 beams, and one beam appears to be 3 (on the basis that one 5 beam bulb is 15), so 36, making a total of 648 ...but perhaps there is something more devious going on...!
Last edited by Lex; 07/02/20 01:45 AM.
Life is what happens while you're making other plans.
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Sherlock]
#1221616
07/02/20 02:12 AM
07/02/20 02:12 AM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 47,072 Ottawa Ontario CANADA
curly
Sonic Boomer
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Sonic Boomer
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Posts: 47,072
Ottawa Ontario CANADA
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369. Doing the multiplication first, Calculator, 10, times Bulbs, 36, beams = 360 + Clock, 9 for a total of 369.
If you can't dance, don't blame the dance floor.
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Sherlock]
#1221619
07/02/20 03:34 AM
07/02/20 03:34 AM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 21,897 Bucks, England
Urban Worrier
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True Blue Boomer
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Last edited by Urban Worrier; 07/02/20 03:38 AM.
To waste one second of one's life is a betrayal of one's self. I wonder what's on television...?
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Sherlock]
#1221646
07/02/20 12:08 PM
07/02/20 12:08 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 11,641 The Garden State
LadyKestrel
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The Garden State
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Edit: Oops! I think my lightbulbs are incorrect.
Last edited by LadyKestrel; 07/02/20 12:11 PM.
“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.” -Bill Watterson
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Sherlock]
#1221648
07/02/20 12:43 PM
07/02/20 12:43 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 11,641 The Garden State
LadyKestrel
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The Garden State
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Ah! It's all in the details: 9 + 324 = 333 I missed the change in the calculator and the rays of the lightbulbs. Sneaky but good!
“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.” -Bill Watterson
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Sherlock]
#1221652
07/02/20 01:40 PM
07/02/20 01:40 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 18,250 Chicago
oldbroad
Graduate Boomer
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Graduate Boomer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 18,250
Chicago
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Attempt #2 (And I learned how to properly use the spoiler tag!)
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Sherlock]
#1221658
07/02/20 03:27 PM
07/02/20 03:27 PM
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 10,709 Minnesota, USA
Sherlock
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OP
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Posts: 10,709
Minnesota, USA
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LadyK on your second try! oldbroad, as LadyK said, "It's all in the details." Take another stab at it.
The best math you can learn is how to calculate the future cost of current decisions.
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Sherlock]
#1221684
07/02/20 08:49 PM
07/02/20 08:49 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 18,250 Chicago
oldbroad
Graduate Boomer
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Graduate Boomer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 18,250
Chicago
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I think I can come up with a few more answers. Give me time . Let's try:
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: oldbroad]
#1221774
07/03/20 10:36 PM
07/03/20 10:36 PM
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 10,709 Minnesota, USA
Sherlock
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OP
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Minnesota, USA
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For those still puzzled by this puzzle, here's the solution: The clock = 9 The calculator = 9 (look closely at the numbers - 1224) The lightbulbs = 36 (each ray is worth 3, there are 4 rays on each bulb so 3x12) The equation: 9 + 9 x 36 = 333 (order of operations says to multiply first - 9 x 36 = 324 + 9)
The best math you can learn is how to calculate the future cost of current decisions.
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Sherlock]
#1221780
07/03/20 11:48 PM
07/03/20 11:48 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 18,250 Chicago
oldbroad
Graduate Boomer
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Graduate Boomer
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Posts: 18,250
Chicago
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Thank you. I got all the numbers but I've never heard of the "order of operations says to multiply first" and I was an A++ math student way, way back (unless there were parenthesis involved)! Or, maybe I should say that I don't recall that part.
Last edited by oldbroad; 07/03/20 11:59 PM.
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Sherlock]
#1221790
07/04/20 06:37 AM
07/04/20 06:37 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 16,741 Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Redz
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Graduate Boomer
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Posts: 16,741
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
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OB, way, way back in school when I (we?) went, parentheses were used. So, the problem would have read either (x + y) x z, or x + (y x z). They added those "rules" much later, leaving out the much needed parentheses and forcing students to remember the rules.
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Sherlock]
#1221803
07/04/20 09:31 AM
07/04/20 09:31 AM
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 11,891 Isle of Man
Lex
Adept Boomer
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Adept Boomer
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 11,891
Isle of Man
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I think that we were taught to add the brackets as appropriate when they had been omitted as part of the mathematical problem - like OB I scored quite well at maths in school, although I was rather stumped when we moved on from calculus to integration (not helped by having a teacher who was a mathematical genius but impatient with the mere mortals in his classroom!)
Last edited by Lex; 07/06/20 02:44 PM.
Life is what happens while you're making other plans.
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Sherlock]
#1221809
07/04/20 10:39 AM
07/04/20 10:39 AM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 21,897 Bucks, England
Urban Worrier
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True Blue Boomer
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Posts: 21,897
Bucks, England
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We had the word BODMAS drilled into us - Brackets Of (eg 50% of 128) Division Multiplication Addition Subtraction Never ever forgot it...
To waste one second of one's life is a betrayal of one's self. I wonder what's on television...?
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Re: Clock, calculator, bulb puzzle
[Re: Urban Worrier]
#1221814
07/04/20 10:57 AM
07/04/20 10:57 AM
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 10,709 Minnesota, USA
Sherlock
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Adept Boomer
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OP
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Minnesota, USA
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I don't remember what I was taught in school growing up. The middle school I worked at for 15+ years taught something similar to what Rog was taught:
Parentheses (includes brackets) Exponents Multiplication Division Addition Subtraction
The best math you can learn is how to calculate the future cost of current decisions.
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