Can you determine the answer to this problem?
There are two different correct answers -- can you find both of them?
Solution to the Problem:
The two answers are 40 and 96.SOLUTION 1
Add 1 + 4 to reach the answer 5.
Then add 2 + 5 to the sum of 5 to get an answer of 12.
Use the same process in the next line, adding 3 + 6 to get 9, then add nine to the sum in the equation above (12) to reach the figure 21.
In the last stage, Add 8 + 11 to get 19, before adding it to the sum of the previous line (21) to get 40.
SOLUTION 2
Add 1 to 4 x 1.
Using that formula, add 2 to 2 x 5 to get 12.
Then add 3 to 6 x 3 to get 21.
And to reach the final answer, Add 8 to 11 x 8 to get 96.
Caleb Frazier and Mishan Kasipsarsad sent in a third possible solution of 52.
Here is Mishan's explanation:
the sequence I see is that the 2nd number is being multiplied by the line number it appears on..
1 + 4 (x1)
2 + 5 (x2)
3 + 6 (x3)
8 + 11(x4) = 52
Here is Caleb's explanation:
x + y = z x + y(n) = z 1 + 4 = 5 1 + 4(1) = 5 2 + 5 = 12 2 + 5(2) = 12 3 + 6 = 21 3 + 6(3) = 21 8 + 11 = ? 8 + 11(4) = 52
Correctly solved by:
| 1. John Holgate |
Delta High School, Delta, Colorado |
| 2. Brianna Tims |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 3. Lynette Arias |
Delta High School, Delta, Colorado |
| 4. Taylor Lawyer |
Delta High School, Delta, Colorado |
| 5. Jacob Branson |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 6. Ivy Joseph | Pune, Maharashtra, India |
| 7. Nathan Workman |
Delta High School, Delta, Colorado |
| 8. Kaylee Smith |
Delta High School, Delta, Colorado |
| 9. Anna M. Crabtree |
MCC Penn Valley, Kansas City, Missouri |
| 10. Linzy Carpenter |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 11. Hope Pfeifer |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 12. Baylee Tims |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 13. Brijesh Dave | Mumbai City, Maharashtra, India |
| 14. Jenna Sutliff |
Delta High School, Delta, Colorado |
| 15. Sascha Moline | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| 16. Ashton Walk |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 17. Triniti Rogers |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 18. Faith Pfeifer |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 19. Ashlee Rudy |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 20. Caleb Frazier |
Delta High School, Delta, Colorado |
| 21. Bryce Villanueva | Victoria, Minnesota |
| 22. Celton Perry |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 23. Breanna Hood |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 24. Adalene Thomas |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 25. Gauge Lockhart |
Delta High School, Delta, Colorado |
| 26. Trinity Brown |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 27. Sameha Haque |
Delta High School, Delta, Colorado |
| 28. Mishan Kasipsarsad | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| 29. Alexis Saxton |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 30. Claire Corbasson |
Delta High School, Delta, Colorado |
| 31. Ethan Busse |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 32. Kaytri Flint |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
Honorable mention:
The following solved one part of the problem:
Alyssa Rippetoe of Mountain View High School in Mountain View, Wyoming
Jenna Sutliff of Delta High School in Delta, Colorado
James Alarie of Flint, Michigan
Jonathan Punke of Joliet Central High School in Joliet, Illinois
Achla Singh
Darion Strait of Delta High School in Delta, Colorado