Can anybody solve this problem? (brain teaser inside...)

Bignate603

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
13,897
1
0
Check out this and see if you can figure it out....





Edit: Solution is below, don't scroll down if you don't want a spoiler.






I got a solution i'm fairly sure is correct but I won't post it until later so people can think it over...
 

glugglug

Diamond Member
Jun 9, 2002
5,340
1
81
Hasn't this already been posted twice?

Anyway's, the big "triangle" isn't actually a triangle. In the top pic the "hypotenuse" is slightly concave and in the bottom pic it bulges out a little.
 

Bignate603

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
13,897
1
0
Originally posted by: glugglug
Hasn't this already been posted twice?

Anyway's, the big "triangle" isn't actually a triangle. In the top pic the "hypotenuse" is slightly concave and in the bottom pic it bulges out a little.

I couldn't find it, but I didn't know what to search for. And yeah, that's the conclusion I came to also.
 

BennyD

Banned
Sep 1, 2002
2,068
0
0
yup. must agree, if you look at the points where the bottom left corners of both small triangles are, you ca see they are different on both triangles.

that difference over the length of the hypotenuse adds up to half a block.

as they are both out in different directions, the two add up to account for the missing piece
 

911paramedic

Diamond Member
Jan 7, 2002
9,448
1
76
Originally posted by: glugglug
Hasn't this already been posted twice?

Anyway's, the big "triangle" isn't actually a triangle. In the top pic the "hypotenuse" is slightly concave and in the bottom pic it bulges out a little.
Yup, just put up the straight edge of a piece of paper on the screen and you will see how concave it is.

 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,406
8,585
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*spoiler*


the dimensions of the rectangle formed by the non-triangle parts are different. in the first its dimenions are 3 height and 5 length, for a total area of 15

in the second the dimensions are 2 height and 8 length, for an area of 16.

that is why theres a hole
 

mcveigh

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2000
6,457
6
81
Originally posted by: ElFenix
*spoiler*


the dimensions of the rectangle formed by the non-triangle parts are different. in the first its dimenions are 3 height and 5 length, for a total area of 15

in the second the dimensions are 2 height and 8 length, for an area of 16.

that is why theres a hole


OK how is that the answer, if you consider it as a whole the the triangle is 8X13 for all the parts for both...so how is there a hole?
 

Bignate603

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
13,897
1
0
Originally posted by: ElFenix
*spoiler*


the dimensions of the rectangle formed by the non-triangle parts are different. in the first its dimenions are 3 height and 5 length, for a total area of 15

in the second the dimensions are 2 height and 8 length, for an area of 16.

that is why theres a hole

That is caused by the fact that those triangles have different slopes.
 

dethman

Lifer
Oct 12, 1999
10,263
3
76
neither of those are triangles. on both, there are kinks which are masked by the different colors and grids.


for a triangle of 5x13, as that is, the total area should be 5x13/2. or 32.5

the areas of the individual pieces are 8 (green), 7(orange), 12(red), and 5(blue).

adding those pieces up gets you 32. adding a square like on the bottom is 33.


which means there is no possible way to get those particular "real" triangles by summing those pieces. they just "look" like triangles. they aren't really.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,406
8,585
126
Originally posted by: mcveigh
Originally posted by: ElFenix
*spoiler*


the dimensions of the rectangle formed by the non-triangle parts are different. in the first its dimenions are 3 height and 5 length, for a total area of 15

in the second the dimensions are 2 height and 8 length, for an area of 16.

that is why theres a hole


OK how is that the answer, if you consider it as a whole the the triangle is 8X13 for all the parts for both...so how is there a hole?

because neither is of the drawings is a triangle. the red triangle has a slop of 3/8, while the blue has a slope of 2/5. since the slope isn't the same theres a slight change in what appears to be the long dimension.
 

faZZter

Golden Member
Feb 21, 2001
1,202
0
0
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: mcveigh
Originally posted by: ElFenix
*spoiler*


the dimensions of the rectangle formed by the non-triangle parts are different. in the first its dimenions are 3 height and 5 length, for a total area of 15

in the second the dimensions are 2 height and 8 length, for an area of 16.

that is why theres a hole


OK how is that the answer, if you consider it as a whole the the triangle is 8X13 for all the parts for both...so how is there a hole?

because neither is of the drawings is a triangle. the red triangle has a slop of 3/8, while the blue has a slope of 2/5. since the slope isn't the same theres a slight change in what appears to be the long dimension.

Exactly.....the hypotenuse appears to be a straight line along both of the triangles when put together but it is not in fact straight due to the different slopes.

Still.....it did boggle my mind for a few minutes.