Popular Lateral Thinking Puzzles

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Lateral thinking Many problems require a different perspective to solve successfully -- Edward de Bono This last factor has to do with the fact that lateral thinking involves low-probability ideas which are unlikely to occur in the normal course of events.

1

Two mathematicians are sitting opposite to each other for a cup of coffee. They looked at the matter written on the paper which is kept on the table . One said “ Its Wrong”, another said “ Its Right”. Both are correct. How is it possible? What is written on the paper? WRONG RIGHT ?

Answer: Wrong I + IX = X Right

I + IX = X Right

I + IX = X Wrong

2

There are six eggs in the basket There are six eggs in the basket. Six people each take one egg, how can it be that one egg is left in the basket?

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 6

3

Truck height is 1 inch taller than tunnel height Then how the truck passes through the tunnel

Answer: Deflate the tires till the truck height is lesser than tunnel height.

4

A police officer saw a truck driver clearly going the wrong way down a one-way street, but did not try to stop him. Why ?

First thoughts …

But… Answer: The truck driver was walking on the one-way street

5

Three of the glasses are filled with cool drink; the other three are empty. By moving only one glass, can you arrange them so the full and empty glasses alternate

6

The school inspection A schoolteacher knew that the school superintendent would visit the next day. The superintendent would ask questions such as spellings or mental arithmetic of the class, and the teacher would choose a pupil to answer. The teacher wanted to give the best impression of the school. What instructions did she give the children, in order to create the best impression and maximise the chances that the right answer was given to each question? Before the school inspector arrived, the teacher instructed the pupils always to raise their left hands. If they did not know the answer. All were unsure. If they were sure they knew their answer. They should raise their right hand. The teachers chooses a different people, every time, but always one who has raised Hughes or her right hand. The superintendent was duly impressed.

Teacher instructed the students to raise hand for every question but with one condition i.e. those students who know right answer will raise their right hands and those students who do not know the answer will raise their left hands

7

Remove 2 matchsticks from this figure to make 2 squares remain

Answer:

8

Two trains are crossing the country, from coast to coast, over 3,000 miles of railroad track. Train A is going from west to east at 70 miles per hour, and Train B is going from east to west at 80 miles per hour. Which train will be closer to the west coast when they meet?

Train A 70 miles per hour 80 miles per hour Train B

Train A

Which train will be closer to the west coast when they meet? Now !!! You know the answer. Both trains are at same distance from west coast when the meet.

9

A man called to a waiter in a restaurant, "There's a fly in my tea A man called to a waiter in a restaurant, "There's a fly in my tea!" The waiter replied, "I will bring you a fresh cup." After a few moments, the man called out, "This is the same cup of tea!" How did he know?

Hint is here only. Try………

Answer: The man had already put sugar into the tea.

10

A black man dressed all in black, wearing a black mask, stands at a crossroads in a totally black-painted town. All of the streetlights in town are broken. There is no moon. A black-painted car without headlights drives straight toward him, but turns in time and doesn't hit him.

Answer: It's broad daylight.

11

Manhole Covers Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones?

Side is smaller than diagonal of square cover. It means, there is a chance that the cover may fall inside.

So round cover is better

12

Make the line smaller without erasing it

Draw another line larger than the existing one adjutant to it. Now the first line is smaller

13

Interviewer -- He ordered a cup of coffee for the candidate Interviewer -- He ordered a cup of coffee for the candidate. Coffee arrived kept before the candidate, then he asked what is before you?  Candidate: Instantly replied "Tea“ He got selected.  Why?

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS T U VWXYZ Here “You”  means “U” ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS T U VWXYZ

14

Arrange four tennis balls in such a way that the distance between each ball is same.

Arrange it in equilateral-triangle - pyramid shape so that distance between each tennis ball is same

15

Two persons are sitting with a table in between them but they can not see each other. Why?

They are sitting in the opposite direction and not facing each other

Dr.P.Madar Valli A presentation by Professor, Industrial Production Engineering Department, GIT, GITAM University Visakhapatnam, India. drpmv@yahoo.com ; drpmv@gitam.edu