Brain Teasers
Chain Links
You have four lengths of gold chain. One is made up of five links, two are made of four links, and one is made of three links. These need to be made into one bracelet. The jeweler you have taken them to charges 50 cents to break a link and $1.00 to weld a link back together. You figure it would cost $6.00, but the jeweler finds a cheaper way. What is it and how much will it cost?
Answer
It will only cost $4.50 if you do this: break all the links on the three-link chain and use those to attach all the other three together.Hide Answer Show Answer
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please reword the riddle... it could be a really good one but you can't get it because there are too many details left out
mainly because i have your answer written out and it doesn't work... I got 5.00 dollars though
what needs to be reworded? I don't know how you found $5 insted. What are you adding up?
easy
fun
Aug 24, 2002
I got $4.00...just weld all the piece's together...
not a very good chain though,
Hang on a second, if there were three links, wouldn't you only need to brake two links, instead of 3?
For example:
A > B > C
If you break off the link from A to B, and then break off the link from B to C, they are all separate. This will only cost $1.00. Then, use A to join the five-link chain to one of the four-link chains. So far, you are up to $2.00. Now, use B to join one four-link chain to the other four-link chain. That will cost $3.00... Now, since you are leftover with C, I'd imagine you can just join that to one of the ends, or discard it entirely... so $4.00 if you choose to join it.
So... is something wrong with my $4.00 logic?
For example:
A > B > C
If you break off the link from A to B, and then break off the link from B to C, they are all separate. This will only cost $1.00. Then, use A to join the five-link chain to one of the four-link chains. So far, you are up to $2.00. Now, use B to join one four-link chain to the other four-link chain. That will cost $3.00... Now, since you are leftover with C, I'd imagine you can just join that to one of the ends, or discard it entirely... so $4.00 if you choose to join it.
So... is something wrong with my $4.00 logic?
Oops, I hate little typos... the 'brake' up the top is meant to be 'break'.
I know I'm missing something here. Why can't you weld the 4 link chain to the other 4 link chain ($1). Then, weld the 4-4 link chain to the 5 link chain ($2). Then, weld the 4-4-5 link chain to the 3 link chain ($3). Finally, link the two ends together for a total of $4.
Okay, I have been thinking about this for a really long time....
I made a bunch of diagrams with paper and pen, so here is my try at the computer:
Key:
(*) represents weld
/ represents cut
o represents 1 link
ooooo
oooo
oooo
ooo
Then:
ooooo
oooo
oooo
o/o/o
Then:
ooooo(*)o(*)oooo(*)o(*)oooo(*)o(*)ooooo-the beginning of the bracelet
2 cuts= $1
6 welds= $6
OR if a weld equals both sides of one link...
ooooo(*o)oooo(*o)oooo(*o)oooooo-the beginning of the bracelet
2 cuts= $1
3 welds= $3
Please point out any mistakes in my diagram(s).
So: How do you get $4.50 if you only make two cuts???
I made a bunch of diagrams with paper and pen, so here is my try at the computer:
Key:
(*) represents weld
/ represents cut
o represents 1 link
ooooo
oooo
oooo
ooo
Then:
ooooo
oooo
oooo
o/o/o
Then:
ooooo(*)o(*)oooo(*)o(*)oooo(*)o(*)ooooo-the beginning of the bracelet
2 cuts= $1
6 welds= $6
OR if a weld equals both sides of one link...
ooooo(*o)oooo(*o)oooo(*o)oooooo-the beginning of the bracelet
2 cuts= $1
3 welds= $3
Please point out any mistakes in my diagram(s).
So: How do you get $4.50 if you only make two cuts???
The 3 links must be cut in order to slip the other lengths of chain through them. Use the first cut link to join the 5 link chain and the 4 link chain. Weld that cut and now you have a 10 link chain, a 4 link chain and 2 cut links. Use the second cut link to join the 10 link chain to the 4 link chain. Weld that cut and you have a 15 link chain and one cut link. Use that last link to join the two ends of the chain together, and weld that cut to make the bracelet. 3 cuts + 3 welds.
Right! If you just welded the pieces together, it wouldn't be a flexible bracelet, it wouldn't even move! You cut into one side of the link, put in the other link, then weld the cut link! It's all coming together...thanks, Gizzer!
Interesting, interesting.
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