help me with this puzzle..

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - help me with this puzzle..

Posted: 1/22/2001 12:27:33 PM EDT

[img]www.interworkssolutions.com/graphics/puzzle.gif[/img]

A guy who I do work with gave this to me and said "I'd bet you can't cut this in to four equal peices.."

Any ideas? I'm just pissed off at it now..

Ian

Posted: 1/22/2001 1:08:29 PM EDT

[#1]

This was on my aptitude test when I was hired here 12 yrs ago. I couldn't answer it then and I can't answer it now.

Posted: 1/22/2001 1:17:33 PM EDT

[#2]

Its an optical illusion, All sides are equal in length.

Posted: 1/22/2001 1:22:27 PM EDT

[#3]

LT, forgive my ignorance but could you explain that to me a little plainer?

Posted: 1/22/2001 1:31:56 PM EDT

[#4]

All the same length? LoL. [spank]

That's impossible. It would yield a square or a parallelogram, not the figure shown.

Posted: 1/22/2001 1:36:20 PM EDT

[#5]

LT, forgive my ignorance but could you explain that to me a little plainer?

View Quote

I have no clue!!! I'm just guessing [@:D]

Posted: 1/22/2001 1:39:17 PM EDT

[#6]

well, at least its a guess! [8D]

Posted: 1/22/2001 2:46:56 PM EDT

[#7]

Anyone have any ideas????

Posted: 1/22/2001 2:50:09 PM EDT

[#8]

This would be a good question for McUzi. It could be a test since he wants his own forum.

[frag]

Posted: 1/22/2001 4:12:23 PM EDT

[#9]

This is the best I can come up with:

[img]albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1193917&a=8798140&p=38859253[/img]

Posted: 1/22/2001 5:37:54 PM EDT

[#10]

You can see how to divide it into three equal triangles, right? Divide each of those in half, peak to base. Now it has six triangles of equal size. Now divide each of these in half. Now there are 12 small triangles. Now group the 12 into 4 sets of three small triangles. Work at it a little and you can see to arrange it as four quarter scale versions of the original figure.

Posted: 1/22/2001 5:45:08 PM EDT

[#11]

I believe Lordtrader is correct, all sides are equal and it is an illusion. He has also shown how to divide into 4 equal parts. look at it long enough.....as a one dimensional drawing the sides are not equal in length...but as a 3 dimensional item, a picture frame perhaps laying on a table or floor the sides appear to be of the same dimension as do the top and bottom.

my $0.02

"Strength is in Unity"

Posted: 1/22/2001 5:46:01 PM EDT

[#12]

damn...I'm a jr again

Posted: 1/22/2001 5:49:04 PM EDT

[#13]

How's this? Did it quick and didn't get the lines exactly right, but you get the picture...
[img]members.home.net/bigdb/pictures/puzzle.jpg[/img]

Posted: 1/22/2001 5:52:49 PM EDT

[#14]

Ding!

Posted: 1/22/2001 5:57:00 PM EDT

[#15]

Yeah madmatt, I was screwing around with it offline and posting my picture while you were posting the answer in text... triangles were all I could make, so I just kept chopping it up.

Posted: 1/22/2001 6:01:36 PM EDT

[#16]

How do you post a simple drawing like that, without going through the photopoint thing?

Posted: 1/22/2001 6:04:50 PM EDT

[#17]

[size=4]Huh?!?!? This is what I came up with[/size=4]

[img]albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1193917&a=8798140&p=38870572[/img]

Posted: 1/22/2001 6:17:16 PM EDT

[#18]

Lordtrader - you divided the square part of the original drawing once to many times, it should be in 8 pieces. The proportions of the triagle part of the original are not quite right, make the short sides the same length, otherwise it is divided up correctly.

Posted: 1/22/2001 6:17:57 PM EDT

[#19]

How do you post a simple drawing like that, without going through the photopoint thing?

View Quote

I have space on a web server. I publish the picture to the web and then include the link to it in board code as follows {img}members.home.net/bigdb/pictures/puzzle.jpg{/img} except use [ instead of {. That inserts the picture in the post like so:
[img]members.home.net/bigdb/pictures/puzzle.jpg[/img]

Posted: 1/22/2001 6:23:13 PM EDT

[#20]

I suck at puzzles, which is weird as I have been doing some complex tile work for the past few weeks.[grenade]

Posted: 1/23/2001 4:36:30 AM EDT

[#21]

I'll talk to the guy today and see what he says....I hope someone got it..

Posted: 1/23/2001 6:52:52 AM EDT

[#22]

This is easy. BigDB1 has it.

Divide the shape into three equal triangles. Then split each of those in halves, leaving six equal triangles. Repeat this, again, so that you have twelve equal triangles.

Now, three of these remaining triangles, together, resemble the original shape.

There are four.

Posted: 1/23/2001 7:02:28 AM EDT

[#23]

The correct answer is...
CUT IT IN HALF..4 TIMES

Posted: 1/23/2001 7:32:06 AM EDT

[#24]

Who da man, BIGDB1 da man!

Posted: 1/23/2001 7:35:19 AM EDT

[#25]

I think it would be altogether easier to just take a good, sharp #2 pencil and stab the fvcker who thinks these things up to death with it.

Posted: 1/23/2001 7:53:20 AM EDT

[#26]

Eleftaria, I agree with you. [sleep]

Posted: 1/23/2001 7:55:24 AM EDT

[#27]

I'll agree with Golgo-13

Posted: 1/23/2001 7:33:48 PM EDT

[#28]

Golgo-13 has the best idea.

How many of you have ever had to do something exactly like this in real life anyway? Closest I've come is trying to make 1 roll of wrapping paper do all Christmas gifts.

Posted: 1/23/2001 7:41:50 PM EDT

[#29]

I think it would be altogether easier to just take a good, sharp #2 pencil and stab the fvcker who thinks these things up to death with it.

View Quote

Best solution to date. I vote for Golgo-13.

Rust Jacking!

[}:D]

Posted: 1/23/2001 8:23:31 PM EDT

[#30]

[img]albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1001226&a=7366433&p=38975430[/img]

its easy its in 4 parts with one big one left over all he said was that it had to be in 4 = parts my ways probally wrong oh well

Posted: 1/24/2001 7:10:44 AM EDT

[#31]

hahah.. [:D]

Posted: 1/24/2001 8:32:29 AM EDT

[#32]

[img]www.interworkssolutions.com/graphics/puzzle.gif[/img]

A guy who I do work with gave this to me and said "I'd bet you can't cut this in to four equal peices.."

Any ideas? I'm just pissed off at it now..

Ian

View Quote

Easy, the sum of the area is the square + triangle. Square = Lenth x height, Triangle = 1/2(L x H). Therefore, four equal parts = 1/4(l x h + 1/2(l x h)