benos Posted June 6, 2002 Share Posted June 6, 2002 (This is a two part task.) Your job, should you choose to accept it: Task one: You can only move 2 "sticks" to create 4 equally sized squares from the 5 original squares in the graphic below. There cannot be any "straggler" sticks (that's aren't actively making a square), and you can't do anything stupid like pile sticks on top of each other. You must end up with 4 SQUARES, not rectangles. Task two: Starting from the original 5 square layout, again you can only move two sticks to make 4 squares, but, this time the squares should/will not be all the same size. And, since I can't think of an easy way for you to type the answer, part of the challenge is you have to send me a graphic representation of your answer in an email. Or if you're really cool, post it yourself. (Oh yea, send or post the image as a jpg or gif file.) I know there's some sharp trivia masters out there who'd get either one of the tasks fairly quickly. So I made it a two part challenge in hopes of slowing you down just a little bit. have fun - be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaiserb Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 I could not think of a way to post the answer here with out an obvious give away so I put the 2 pictures of the answer at : http://www.think-crate.com/benos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecutts Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 Quote: from benos on 12:46 pm on June 6, 2002 You can only move 2 "sticks" to create 4 equally sized squares from the 5 original squares in the graphic below. come on dude read the directions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaiserb Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 And your suggested answer is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerome Poiret Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 I think I've got the answer to the second part of the question. Anybody wants to team up for a half bottle of slide glide ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhgtyre Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 Yeah, the second half is pretty easy. That first part hurts though. I thought I had it twice but both times I had either overlapped sticks or created rectangles (or both). GRRRR... -jhgtyre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myorke Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 Bri, Check you're email. I sent a response in late last night. What can I say, I couldn't sleep! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaiserb Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 The official answer: http://www.madras.fife.sch.uk/maths/toothp...oothpick21.html I guess my orginal answer was too creative.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 ---------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 Good job Kaiserb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 Don't theys gots to be squares? Step 1: Step 2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 8, 2002 Author Share Posted June 8, 2002 Man, I can't believe there is "toothpick" website. (A neighbor showed me the puzzle.) Well, I only found the first task's solution on the website kaiserb posted, so technically he wins half a book. And then EricW wins the other half with his "4 squares of not necessarily the same size" post. (Actually, there's several ways to solve that one.) So you guys will have to let me know what we should do... Now that I've found that toothpick website, I'm not going to get anything done. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted June 8, 2002 Share Posted June 8, 2002 I'd like pages 3-21, 38-54, and... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted June 8, 2002 Share Posted June 8, 2002 I'd have to read the original question....but, if you said "squares" that certainly denotes four equal sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 10, 2002 Author Share Posted June 10, 2002 Over the weekend I got an email from Jarrod R, in which he'd correctly drawn both answers. Maybe we should just give the win to him? He is the only person thus far to submit/post both answers, correctly... those were "the rules" weren't they? be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Duhhhh....rules? Enjoy, Jarrod! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaiserb Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 I recind my orginal answer and therefore disqualify myself. I think I got a little too creative. Yes it should have only been 4 squares in the first one and; yes it should have been all squares in the second one... I can do match stick puzzles like crazy but I can not read instructions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Just when we thought it was freestyle, someone's gotta mention rules...... Next thing you know shooting boxes will be back in style.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarrod Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 So do I get the book????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 10, 2002 Author Share Posted June 10, 2002 kaiserb, "I recind my orginal answer and therefore disqualify myself." lol! Jarrod, It looks like you're the big winner. Nice work! Did you "get it" easily, or did it take some work. (The first one hurt me for awhile. In fact, I "made up" the second one while working on the first.) Send me your shipping info in an email or message and I'll ship 'er out. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarrod Posted June 11, 2002 Share Posted June 11, 2002 It was pretty hard but to tell you the truth I have no idea how I got it.. I just messed around with it untill I got it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 11, 2002 Author Share Posted June 11, 2002 However - good work! I enjoy trying those type exercises because of the visualization challenge they pose. Especially without writing anything down or using sticks or whatever. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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