Thursday, May 28, 2015

The Snail And The Well

No comments :
There was a small snail at the bottom of a thirty foot well. In desperation to get out, the snail was only able to climb up three feet during the daytime, and reluctantly slide back down two feet at night.

At this pace, how many days and nights will it take the snail to reach the top of the well?

The Snail And The Well Puzzle Solution

After traveling 3 feet up, then sliding 2 feet down, the snail had a net gain of 1 foot per day and night. One would think, 1 foot per day and night, 30 foot deep well, 30 days and nights! But that's wrong.

After 26 days and nights, the snail is 26 feet up the well. So the snail starts the 27th day at 26 feet. At the end of the 27th day, the snail has travelled to 29 feet, but during the 27th night, it slides down to 27 feet. So, on the 28th day, the snail travels 3 feet up and reaches the top of the well.

So, the final answer is 28 days and 27 nights.

No comments :

Post a Comment