Brain Teasers
Bowling ball
Situation
Situation puzzles (sometimes called lateral thinking puzzles) are ones where you need to ask lots of yes or no questions to figure out what happened in the situation. These are good puzzles for groups where one person knows the puzzle and answers the questions.Situation
A man lets go of a bowling ball. A short while later, he is rushed to the hospital. What happened?
Answer
A physics professor is demonstrating conservation of energy by suspending a bowling ball from a piece of rope. He pulls the ball back until it`s right in front of his nose, then lets go. It is supposed to swing away from him, then back at him, stopping just in front of his nose. Unfortunately, he gave the ball a slight push, resulting in the ball crashing into his nose upon its return.Hide Answer Show Answer
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Comments
I believe that from the evidence given in the question, the man dropped the ball on his foot.
Maybe he was on a bus and he dropped it, making it hit the gas and getting in an accident
2 many possibilities
The man could have been polishing the ball and then had a heartattack or stroke or something that made him drop it.
I'm waiting, no, HOPING my physics prof will do this too. Heh heh heh.
I thought he dropped it on his toe Good one
I thought he let go of the ball to late at the bowling alley, threw it into the air, and the ball fell on his head, sending him to the hospital where he died a painful death
I WAS GOING WITH BALL FALLING ON HIS FOOT TOO, OR HE ACCIDENTLY SLIPPED THREW THE BALL IN TO THE AIR, AND HE HURT HIMSELF WITH THE BALL
Ha, ha!
He couldn't have given the ball a little push if he let go of it. Which one is it, push or let go?
WHATEVER!
i thought it crushed his foot
i thot it hit him in the stomach or the foot too, so i missed it!
i also thot it was that he was playing and his finger got stuck and... stuff.
i also thought the toe thingy but there are too many possibilities for this
maybe he was holding it above his head
Yeah, I also thought it dropped on his toe! Other than that, I had no clue! Good one!
TOE TOE TOE
If anyone ever guesses exactly this answer from what's given, without any assistance, they clearly have ESP.
I thought that he threw the ball straight up in the air and it hit him in the head, causing secere head trauma. The author of this teaser made the answer way to complicated
He could have hit someone with the ball
I thought it crushed his foot.
i really didnt like that too many possibilites
did anyone get this right?
i didnt- i thought he was like holding the ball over his head and then he let go and it smashed his head
the whole physics professor thing works too except for if i was doing a demonstration like that i might use like a ping pong ball or something like that instead
i didnt- i thought he was like holding the ball over his head and then he let go and it smashed his head
the whole physics professor thing works too except for if i was doing a demonstration like that i might use like a ping pong ball or something like that instead
How about this... He dropped the ball on a floor board he was standing on, was catapulted into the air and hit his head on the ceiling! Now THAT makes sense.
- I thought it was the toe that got hit
-Dumb professor!
-Dumb professor!
I thought he dropped it on his foot, too.
Wow, that professor... isn't the best demonstrator. I bet his students are at home, laughing their faces off.
Anyways, if you've ever read the discription for Situation Teasers, you'd know that they're more for verbal teasing, in groups, where the questionair is asked yes-or-no questions until the answer can be reached. It's not very possible to figure the answer by yourself over this site.
Anyways, if you've ever read the discription for Situation Teasers, you'd know that they're more for verbal teasing, in groups, where the questionair is asked yes-or-no questions until the answer can be reached. It's not very possible to figure the answer by yourself over this site.
yeah I feel smart now because I got it write, but only because I knew someone would try to come up with a tricky answer not involving a bowling alley. I have heard of this but haven't taken physics yet, I like this teaser
I liked this one. I guessed the right situation. thank you.
good one
I was thinking laterally... I thought the bowling ball was being suspended (somehow) from a great height -- maybe duct-taped to the bottom of an airplane -- forgive me, I just got back from doing teaser 23958. The guy was holding on, holding on, holding on... and let go and fell to his doom. Only the plane was just starting to take off, which is why he didn't die immediately.
Actually no, I really thought he dropped it on his toe, but that it couldn't possibly be that simple, so I gave up and clicked the Answer.
Maybe in the spirit of this type of teaser, the "Hint" should elucidate more of the situation.
I'm wondering ... did the author of this teaser have a dislike of a physics teacher?
Actually no, I really thought he dropped it on his toe, but that it couldn't possibly be that simple, so I gave up and clicked the Answer.
Maybe in the spirit of this type of teaser, the "Hint" should elucidate more of the situation.
I'm wondering ... did the author of this teaser have a dislike of a physics teacher?
i can never think like that
OW! I've actually done that test before (and luckily didn't hurt myself), but I think there are too many possibilities. Nice try though!
oh, i thought that he was bowling and he dropped it on his head
I don't quite think its possible to figure that answer from the way its stated, i dont get how you could figure out how it was on a string or anything. I just figured he dropped it on his foot and broke his toe or something.
..
But thats just me.
..
But thats just me.
If he gave the ball a "slight push", it would NOT come "crashing into his nose".
To the person above me: If all the editors--who are very hard to get teasers by--accepted this, then the information is all plausible.
To the people who think of the toe: This is not exactly a plausible answer. If he dropped it on his foot, maybe, but I've dropped a bowling ball on my toe. You don't need to rush to the hospital for that..
To the people who think of the toe: This is not exactly a plausible answer. If he dropped it on his foot, maybe, but I've dropped a bowling ball on my toe. You don't need to rush to the hospital for that..
I've also hit myself in the upper leg with a bowling ball.. Bowling balls are just pain in the butts.
This is a good teaser. Thumbs ^UP^
This is a good teaser. Thumbs ^UP^
WAY over done answer. The answer that anyone will think of would be that he dropped it on his foot.
My physics teacher was retired from NASA... and slightly insane. I thought he was awesome, but he was one of the most HATED teachers in the school. He did that bowling ball trick, and people were definitely hoping it would hit him(it didn't)! I thought the answer was "he dropped it on his foot" though!
I didn't really understand the question. I was thinking that a man dropped a bowling ball on his toe. You could possibly go to a hospital for that. Either way, I thought the answer was more original.
This needs to be changed. What if he was clumsy and dropped it on his foot/toe
he really should have seen that coming
Wow. That's one heck of a situtation!
He dropped it on his foot! DUH!
(A prime example of nerfhead logic.)
(A prime example of nerfhead logic.)
Maybe it should include a line saying he doesn't drop it on his foot, seeing as that's what most of us thought it was! Then we'd have to think about it a bit more (although I know I wouldn't have come up with the answer!)
Good teaser though, I'd try it myself if I was brave enough...
Good teaser though, I'd try it myself if I was brave enough...
Who edits these? Riddles need to have one solid answer. I could tell you a dozen possible answers off the top of my head for this one. BOO...
I thought he dropped it on his foot.
Good Teaser!
Braingle
I know it sounds mean, but that was kindda funny.
I thought the answer was that he dropped it on his foot! That was the first thing that came into my head!!!
ha ha ha ha ha
The Physics teacher was random O_O
I though he crushed his foot too...
I though he crushed his foot too...
me got toe answer
me likey real answer
me likey real answer
This teaser is way too huge. I mean, who would have thought it whacked someone's nose? It's not explained well enough and there are many possible answers
The whole point is that there's supposed to be someone who knows the answer that you ask yes or no questions to to narrow down the solutions.
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