Math help!!

[jahexom]

Please help with a difficult brainteaser type question.

Suzy has 8 pennies. She lays them on the table in a V shape with one side longer. 5 on one side, 4 on the other. How can we make both sides the same by moving only one penny?

Any suggestions, hints?? Thanks

Jen

 

[escape]

If she only has 8 pennies, why are there 9 to work with?

 

[Sparx]

put one penny in the middle. like you have a penny then you put one on either side, then another on each side then another. sorry. hard to explain. At the apex of the V (well an upside down apex) you would put the fifth penny. I think thats how it would be done.

P=penny
P1
....P2....................P9
.........P3............P8
.............P4......P7
...............P5.P6

you would put the P1 under the P5 and P6.
although. if she has 9 pennies, not eight. if she has 5 on one side and 4 on the other, there are 9.
OR the easy way. You could remove the 9th penny.

 

[LoveWDW]

It may be too easy, but if the penny at the tip is moved to the outer end of the short side, then both sides are the same length. I'll keep looking.

 

[jahexom]

There are only 8 pennies.
Here is a diagram of how the pennies are arranged:
p1
....p2....................p8
.......p3.............p7
..........p4.....p6
............p5


Jen

 

[damo]

It may be too easy, but if the penny at the tip is moved to the outer end of the short side, then both sides are the same length. I'll keep looking.

That's what I'd do.

 

[LoveWDW]

p1...........................p5
....p2....................p8
.......p3.............p7
..........p4.....p6

Here is my suggestion in diagram

 

[jahexom]

Forgot to mention, we need to have 5 pennies on each side. Thanks.

 

[ADisneygirl]

Forgot to mention, we need to have 5 pennies on each side. Thanks.

It is impossible to have 5 pennies on each side when there are only 8 pennies total.

As for your original configuration, to make both sides equal I would stack one penny from the longer side onto another penny, thereby making both rows "look" equal.

 

[Sparx]

Forgot to mention, we need to have 5 pennies on each side. Thanks.

Thats impossible, isn't it?
5+5=10. which is 2 more than 8.

 

[DisneyTarheel]

There are only 8 pennies.
Here is a diagram of how the pennies are arranged:
p1
....p2....................p8
.......p3.............p7
..........p4.....p6
............p5


Jen

Stack p1 on top of p5. u now have two equal rows of 5 pennies, 2 of which are on top of each other.

 

[TottenKing]

Stack p1 on top of p5. u now have two equal rows of 5 pennies, 2 of which are on top of each other.

AWESOME!! I bow to the master.

 

[jahexom]

Thanks everyone

 

[dbarker]

You stack 2 pennies at the bottom of the V. Then have the rest form the equal sided V.