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Old April 11th, 2006, 01:04 AM   #1038
Damocles
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Earth
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cylon Number 13

What's the answer to this riddle?

Food in my belly
Trees on my back
Nails in my ribs
Feet I do Lack
What am I?
A ship.

Answer this one; It's a simple physics problem.

Quote:
You stand before 3 lightswitches. One of these switches is able to turn on/off a lightbulb in a room nearby. You can't see in the room but you know the light was turned off all day. You have to find which switch is connected to the lightbulb. In order to find the switch that is connected to the lightbulb, you can do only the following:
Step 1: Use zero or more switches as much as you want.
Step 2: Go to the other room.
Step 3: Tell which switch is connected to the bulb by doing something in the room (=not going outside).
Before you refer to the spoiler try to solve the problem.......

Spoiler
What's the physics part? Heat. Well, actually it's the light bulb. Switch the first switch. You then wait for a minute or two, and then turn it off again. Now switch the second switch and go in the room. One of the following situations takes place:

The light bulb is burning. Now you know that the second switch is the one that is connected the the light bulb.
The light bulb is not burning. Well, go and touch the light bulb. If it is hot, then you now it is the first switch that is connected to the light bulb (this is the switch you let burning for a minute). If it is cold, it is be the third switch that is connected.


As always;
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