Larry Campbell Brain Teasers

Brain Teasers – March/April ’21

NOTE:  Newest BTs in red, Bonuses in blue, comments in green, updates in purple.

  1. Consider π, 3.14, and 22/7. Write them in order from smallest to largest, or, if any are equal, mark EQUAL in appropriate spots..
  2. Are there any days this year (’21) where the day# times the month# = the year# [21]?
  3. When if ever, is 1/x  bigger than x? 
  4. When, if ever, is a number less than its square?  
  5. See picture and question ->
  6. A cubic foot of air weighs 0.0765 pounds. What is the weight of the air in a 20 x 30 x 10 foot classroom?
  7. Halley’s Comet appeared in 1758, 1834, 1910, and 1986. When will it next appear?
  8. If grasshoppers can jump 59 times their length, how far can a 1.5 inch grasshopper jump?
  9. This past Saturday was 4/3/21. Let’s call that a ‘countdown day’.  When will the next ‘countdown day’ happen?
  10. A penny weighs approximately 0.1 ounce. Using that figure, how much would a ton of pennies be worth?
  11. What is the perimeter of a square that has the same area as a 4 cm x 9 cm rectangle?
  12. Solve this equation it only it is an easy one give a try
  13. There are (at least) two 2-digit numbers that are equal to 7 times the sum of their digits. Find at least one of them.
  14. Write the numeral for the number eight billion, forty thousand, two.        BONUS 1 See # 13 above.  Can you  find more than two such numbers?
    BONUS 2  Note that it takes 6 syllables to pronounce Kansas City Royals. but only 5 to pronounce St. Louis Cardinals.  On the other hand pronouncing either New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox only takes 4 syllables.  Lets take Major League Baseball, and add NFL football teams for fun, as well.  What are the extremes on syllables for City and Mascot?  Hurriedly, I can think of one team that takes 7 syllables, and one team that only takes 3.  Can you find them?  Can you find teams with more than 7? Or less than 3? (Submitted already: 2 or 3 teams with 7, 2 or 3 teams with more than 7 and 2 or 3 with only 3.  Are we missing any?  Join the fun!)
    BONUS 3 Did you see Dean Martin’s Fun Fact involving 80 beers and your birth year?  🙂  Can you explain how it works? [See also note at link for more precise updates.]
    BONUS 4  See #10.  How much would those pennies weigh?  (Be alert!)

9 thoughts on “Brain Teasers – March/April ’21”

  1. 1. pi, 22/7, 3.17
    2. January 21st, March 7th, July 3rd (interesting that the 2021 is not prime since 43 and 47 are factors)
    4. When x<-1 and 0<x<1
    5. When the number is either less than zero or greater than 1

  2. BT#1…Pi, 22/7, 3.17
    BT#2…1-21-21, 3-7-21, and 7-3-21
    BT#3…1/x is greater than x if x=0
    BT#4…x is less than x squared if x is not equal to 0

  3. Just out of curiosity, on question #1 did you intend for the decimal to be 3.14 instead of 3.17?

    1. Yes, and I plan to edit it next Mailing. (I didn’t do it – a gremlin did!) But people who answer it ‘correctly’ with the 3.17 will also get credit.

      1. BT#5…The shirt has 6 holes; 2 in front, 2 in back (the 2 that are visible on the front must go all the way through because otherwise you’d be able to see material, not the brown color), neck, body, 2 armholes.
        BT#6…45.9 pounds.
        BT#7…Halley’s comet will appear (be seen from Earth) next in 2062. It appears not to be visible from here today,but it still appears somewhere.
        BT#8…The grasshopper can jump 88.5 inches or 7 feet 4.5 inches.

  4. BT#9…May 4, 2032.
    BT#10…If a penny weighs .1 oz. a ton of pennies would be worth $3,200.
    BT#11…A square of side=6cm will have the same area as a 9cm by 4cm rectangle.
    Bonus#2…7 syllables, Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks
    3 syllables, Oakland A’s and New York Mets.

  5. 1) 3.14, pi, 22/7
    2) Jan. 21, Mar. 7, July 3
    3) when -1 < x < 1, x not = 0
    (or when x is between -1 and
    1 except for 0)
    4) x < x^2 when x < 0
    (negative numbers)
    5) 6 holes
    6) 459 lbs
    7) 2062 (appears every 76 yr)
    8) 88.5 inches
    9) 5/4/32
    10) $3,200
    11) 24 cm
    12) (C) 25
    13) 21 = 7(2+1) and
    63 = 7(6+3)
    14) 8,000,040,002
    Bonus 1: yes, 84 = 7(8+4)
    Bonus 2: 3 syllables- New York
    Mets, Cleveland Browns,
    New York Jets
    7 syllables-Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia
    Phillies, Indianapolis Colts,
    Philadelphia Eagles
    8 syllables-San Francisco
    49ers
    Bonus 3: I found this will only
    work correctly for your age
    BEFORE your birthday on any
    given year. If you have
    already had your birthday,
    you need to use 81 (beers).
    I can't explain why it works,
    but It has something to do
    with the number 120. Using
    different combinations of
    numbers whose sum is 120
    also works. (60 & 60, 100 &
    20, 50 & 70, etc.)

  7. Steve and I came up with San Francisco Forty Niners (8)
    New York Jets/Mets (3)

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