Question:
can anyone solve this riddle?
cymru am byth
2010-01-04 11:45:07 UTC
There are four people in an adventure race that need to get across a lake. They have a small canoe. The rules say that only the slowest person in the canoe can paddle, only one or two can be in the canoe at a time, and they must all cross in the canoe. From practice, they know that:

Ann can paddle across in 1 minute.

Bill can paddle across in 2 minutes.

Sue can paddle across in 5 minutes.

Mike can paddle across in 10 minutes.

How do they get everyone across the river in the fastest time without breaking the rules?
Fourteen answers:
Sal*UK
2010-01-04 11:48:16 UTC
There are five crossings, counting both directions. Bill paddles across with Ann, and returns alone. Then Mike paddles across with Sue, and Ann paddles back. Bill then paddles back with Ann. The total time is 17 minutes, which is the shortest possible, although Ann could have done the second crossing, and Bill from the fourth, and the result would be the same. The crucial point is that Sue and Mike had to make the third crossing.
Bralank
2010-01-04 19:48:57 UTC
There are five crossings, counting both directions. Bill paddles across with Ann, and returns alone. Then Mike paddles across with Sue, and Ann paddles back. Bill then paddles back with Ann. The total time is 17 minutes, which is the shortest possible, although Ann could have done the second crossing, and Bill from the fourth, and the result would be the same. The crucial point is that Sue and Mike had to make the third crossing.
Snowboarding Bean
2010-01-04 19:51:49 UTC
Mike stays in the canoe. He paddles one person over at a time baybe Ann first. He paddles her pver and goes back. Then he picks up Bill and paddles him across. He then takes Sue and gets off when she does. Make sense?
Krexyl
2010-01-04 20:02:05 UTC
Bill takes Ann across. Bill comes back. Mike and Sue cross, Ann comes back, picks up Bill and gets to the island in 17 minutes.
Sisco-X
2010-01-04 20:18:54 UTC
ann & bill go across.ann paddles and bill returns alone

bill & sue go across. bill paddles and sue returns alone

sue & mike cross. sue paddles and they are all across in 16 minutes
?
2010-01-04 19:51:46 UTC
mike paddles sue across then gets out

sue goes back and picks up bill then paddles back

bill paddles back and picks up ann

total time:10,5,5,2,2 AKA 24 mins
antanddoc
2010-01-04 19:51:12 UTC
Mike and Ann go across = 10

Ann goes back = 1

Sue and Ann go across = 5

Ann goes back = 1

Bill and Ann go across = 2

Total = 19 mins
Massie Kim
2010-01-04 21:28:36 UTC
2 points.
2010-01-04 19:56:21 UTC
1. Ann & Bill paddle across..........time taken 2 min.

2. Ann returns alone.......................time taken 1 min.

3. Mike & Sue paddle across.....time taken 10 min.

4. Bill returns alone ........................time taken 2 min.

5. Ann & Bill paddle across ..........time taken 2 min.

_______________________________________________

Total time taken ......................................... 17 minutes!!!.

_______________________________________________
Jimi Hendrix Guy
2010-01-04 19:48:45 UTC
By forcing the referee to forget the rules/re-write them
Loo_Blink
2010-01-04 19:49:44 UTC
If the slowest person if the only one who can paddel, and that is mike, does it matter what order they go in....?
2010-01-04 20:05:14 UTC
17 minutes i think :)
BenandJerry'sCookieDough
2010-01-04 19:49:03 UTC
17 miniutes :)
2010-01-04 19:48:35 UTC
IT'S A TRAP!


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