IMPOSSIPUZZLES
1
“Commission only, and I like it,” John declared. “Last week I made ten pounds less than three times as much as the week before.” Mike nodded. “I suppose it does have advantages, but you must have bad weeks too. How much the previous week?” “Just two hundred pounds less than last week,” his friend replied. “One of those bad weeks.” What were the respective amounts?
2
“I found something funny about our number, Dad,” said Jack, pointing to a sheet of paper on the table. Tom looked. “I don’t see why,” he declared. “A very ordinary 3-figure number.” “Look again,” the boy replied. “Multiply it by seven and then divide by sixteen. You get the same digits but with the last coming first.” What was the number?
3
Peter put down his pencil. “Grandpa is just twice as old as you, isn’t he, Dad?” he asked. “That’s right,” Steve replied. “What of it?” “Well, I’ve noticed something funny about your ages,” the boy told him. “If you add four to the first figure of your age, and take away four from your last figure, you get his age.” Well?
4
“You wrote a number on the margin here,” Martha told her husband. “Do you want to keep it?” Jack shook his head. “It’s the serial number of my new watch, but now I’ve got a trick in case I forget it,” he replied. “It’s the smallest number that gives all ones when you multiply it by 13.” What was the number?
5
“We bought some apples,” Jill declared. “Jack got fifteen and I got nine.” “What about me?” Susie asked. “Can’t I have some?” Her sister considered the question. “Okay, we’ll share them equally between the three of us,” she replied. “But it will cost you 24p.” “Suits me.” Susie took the money from her purse. “How much should Jack get?” You say!
6
“Is that all you caught?” Ann asked, watching her husband empty his fishing bag on to a dish. Keith smiled. “I didn’t do so well, but we caught about two dozen between the three of us,” he replied. “I got half as many as Mike, and Mike caught one more than a quarter of what Clem and I got together.” How many did Keith catch?