Frequently asked questions: Brain Teasers & Logic
Here's a preview of what awaits you in this brain teasers & logic quiz: 15 multiple choice questions, each with a detailed explanation so you can learn while you play. Here are a few example questions (and their answers, so no peeking before you play!).
How many small cubes make up a classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube?
Answer: 26. A 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube is made up of 26 visible small cubes (called cubies). The centre of the cube is actually a mechanism of axes, not a 27th solid cube.
Which number completes the logical sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, … ?
Answer: 13. This is the Fibonacci sequence, in which each number is the sum of the two before it: 5 + 8 = 13. This sequence appears in many natural phenomena, such as the spirals of shells or sunflowers.
What is a so-called ‘unicursal’ maze?
Answer: A maze with a single path and no branches. A unicursal maze has only one path with no forks at all: you follow the route to the centre and then back out. Unlike a ‘maze’ with multiple choices, there are no decisions to make.
What is the name of the impossible triangle drawn by the mathematician Roger Penrose?
Answer: The Penrose triangle. The Penrose triangle, also called the ‘tribar’, is an impossible object designed in 1954 by Roger Penrose and his father Lionel. It depicts a three-dimensional triangle in which every angle appears to be a right angle, which is geometrically impossible.
How many valid, distinct 9×9 sudoku grids exist?
Answer: About 6.7 sextillion. There are exactly 6,670,903,752,021,072,936,960 valid sudoku grids, or about 6.7 sextillion. This number was calculated in 2005 by Bertram Felgenhauer and Frazer Jarvis using computer algorithms.
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