Brain Teasers
Walking Time
A man leaves his office daily at 5pm, gets on a local train to his town, and arrives at the station at 6pm. His wife reaches there at exactly 6pm in a car, to pick him up. This is a daily routine.
On a certain day he left the office at 4pm and forgot to inform his wife. He reached the station of his town at 5pm and started to walk towards his home. He met his wife on the way as she was coming to pick him up at the usual time. They drove back to home. That day they reached home 20 minutes earlier than their usual time.
For how long, in minutes, did he walk?
On a certain day he left the office at 4pm and forgot to inform his wife. He reached the station of his town at 5pm and started to walk towards his home. He met his wife on the way as she was coming to pick him up at the usual time. They drove back to home. That day they reached home 20 minutes earlier than their usual time.
For how long, in minutes, did he walk?
Answer
50 MinutesHide Answer Show Answer
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I just added some more solutions..no offence intended,sorry if it did.
By the way this one has only one solution - 50 minutes
By the way this one has only one solution - 50 minutes
Perhaps I didn't try hard but this seems to be very difficult.
How is the solution?
How is the solution?
This was a very entertaining riddle. The solution is elegent in its simplicity. The husband saved his wife 20 minutes of time. This 20 minutes of time is allocated evenly between her trip to the train station and the trip back home. In other words it took her ten minutes less to reach him, and also ten minutes less to return home. She must therefore have reached him at 5:50, or ten minutes before the normal tiem of 60. Since he began walking at 50, he was walking for 50 minutes
very... very good teaser. worth the while. elegant solution. too bad this is your only teaser.
Yes, very nice teaser and elegant solution. I read it twice before the simplicity of the answer occurred to me.
Excellent teaser - very nice solution by vmiroc!
Aug 18, 2009
the question doesnt mention that it saved the wife's time..
it says "they drove back home and reached 20 minutes earlier than their normal time. Therefore the answer should be 40mins
it says "they drove back home and reached 20 minutes earlier than their normal time. Therefore the answer should be 40mins
@userDeleted, arriving home 20 mins before they normally do means she spent 10 less minutes driving towards the station before meeting him and spent 10 less minutes getting back.
Spending 10 less minutes driving towards the station before meeting him means they met at 5:50 instead of 60.
I.E., say she normally drives 30 mins each way, a total of 60 mins. That's her departing at 5:30, meeting him at 60, getting home at 6:30. Arriving home 20 mins early means it took a total of 40 mins. That's 20 mins each way. So she departed at 5:30, met him at 5:50, then got back 6:10. That's 20 mins before they normally get back at 6:30. Meeting him at 5:50 is him walking 50 mins.
Spending 10 less minutes driving towards the station before meeting him means they met at 5:50 instead of 60.
I.E., say she normally drives 30 mins each way, a total of 60 mins. That's her departing at 5:30, meeting him at 60, getting home at 6:30. Arriving home 20 mins early means it took a total of 40 mins. That's 20 mins each way. So she departed at 5:30, met him at 5:50, then got back 6:10. That's 20 mins before they normally get back at 6:30. Meeting him at 5:50 is him walking 50 mins.
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