IMPOSSIPUZZLES

1

Ron held up a piece of paper. “The serial number of my new transistor,” he said. “It’s a funny number.” “Funny?” Andy asked. “How’s that?” “Look,” replied the boy. “When you shift the last three digits and put them in front of the other three, in the same order, you multiply it by six.” That did make it rather special. What was the number?

2

There was a young lady of Lee, Whose age had its last digit 3. If you total the two, it’s easy to do, One less than a square you will see. Any ideas?

3

“So Miss Stanton’s your new teacher,” Sam commented. “D’you like her?” “She’s okay.” Doug grinned. “But I haven’t worked out how old she is. She told us we can get her age by adding five times its last figure to three times its first.”

You work it out.

4

“I finished your multiplication,” Joe told his grandfather. “The answer’s this 6figure number that’s really your age written down three times in a row.”

Tom smiled. “Yes, it’s divisible without a remainder by each of its digits, and also by your dad’s age. And the digits of his age are the digits of mine in reverse order.” The boy nodded. “And the strange thing is, exactly the same could have been said eleven years ago, if you had written your age down three times in a row then.” How old is Tom?

5

Ron picked up his money. “Sorry, Pam,” he said. “If I lent you three pounds you’d have twice as much as me.” “What’s wrong with that? You’ll get it back tomorrow,” his sister insisted. “And anyway you’ve got eight pence more than I have now.” How much did Ron have?

6

“So you have five kids, with the one girl in the middle,” said Alan. “How old is she now?” Steve smiled. “Work it out yourself,” he replied. “They’re all spaced two years apart, and the youngest boy is just half the age of the oldest.” Well?