Math Riddles

These Math Riddles are based on math concepts and can be solved with a bit of math and logic. These fun riddles can surely give you a tough time.

Painting the Lampposts

Tim and Pat were engaged by the local authorities to paint the lamp posts in a certain street. Tim, who was an early riser, arrived first on the job, and had painted three on the south side when Pat turned up and pointed out that Tim’s contract was for the north side.

So Tim started afresh on the north side and Pat continued on the south. When Pat had finished his side he went across the street and painted six posts for Tim, and then the job was finished.

There were an equal number of lamp-posts on each side of the street. Who painted more lamp posts, and how many more?

Riddle Answer

Getting Home with the Money

Johnny is walking home. He has $300 to bring home to his mom. While he is walking, a man stops him and gives him a chance to double his money.

The man says, “I’ll give you $600 if you can roll 1 die and get a 4 or above, you can roll 2 dice and get a 5 or 6 on at least one of them, or you can roll 3 dice and get a 6 on at least one die. If you don’t I get your $300.”

What does Johnny do to have the best chance of getting home with the money?

Riddle Answer

Saving Time

Our man Ostap was going home from Kiev. He rode halfway by train – fifteen times as fast as he goes on foot. The second half he went by ox team. He can walk twice as fast as that. Would he have saved time if he had gone all the way on foot? If so, by how much?

Answer

Yes. He took as much time for the second half of his trip as the whole trip would have taken on foot.

So no matter how fast the train was, he lost exactly as much time as he spent on the train. He would have saved 130 of the time by walking all the way.