Brain Teasers
Half a Hole
While digging a hole his back he did bend.
When asked how deep it would be in the end,
He replied "I'm halfway, and this I will vow,
You can see how far above the top my head is now".
"But when it is finished, as sure as my name is Ken,"
"My head will be twice as far below the top then."
"Pray tell me dear Kenneth, what is your height?"
"I'm one metre sixty!" Can you get the depth right?
When asked how deep it would be in the end,
He replied "I'm halfway, and this I will vow,
You can see how far above the top my head is now".
"But when it is finished, as sure as my name is Ken,"
"My head will be twice as far below the top then."
"Pray tell me dear Kenneth, what is your height?"
"I'm one metre sixty!" Can you get the depth right?
Answer
The final depth will be 2.4 metres.Let x = the hole's final depth, and y = the height above ground level that Ken's head is now.
From the first statement you can set up the equation:
x/2 + y = 1.6
(Half the final hole depth + the height Ken's head is above ground level = Ken's height)
From the second statement you can set up the equation:
x - 2y = 1.6
(The final depth of the hole - twice the height that Ken's head is currently above ground level = Ken's height).
Solve these for x to get the answer of 2.4 metres.
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