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        riddles >> easy >> bookworm
        
(Message started by: lukes new shoes on Jan 28^th, 2003, 11:37pm)

Title: bookworm
Post by lukes new shoes on Jan 28^th, 2003, 11:37pm

there is a set of 10 encyclopedias on a shelf. each encyclopedia is 1,000 pages long. a bookworm starts on the first page of the first book and eats his way through to the last page of the last book (in a straight line). how many pages does he eat through? (not inlcuding the covers of the encyclopedias).

Title: Re: bookworm
Post by Garzahd on Jan 29^th, 2003, 12:18am

Nitpick: The problem might be better phrased if you said [hide] the first page of the first book and the last page of the last book, instead of referring to the set.[/hide]

Title: Re: bookworm
Post by Speaker on Jan 29^th, 2003, 1:20am

When I first heard this riddle the answer was expected to be given in inches, with the width of each volume specified in the question. And, the format was as in the nitpick posted by Garzahd. But, the difference is really inconsequential.

Title: Re: bookworm
Post by towr on Jan 29^th, 2003, 1:43am

How are the encyclopedia arranged on the shelf?
Cause there are a lot of different possible answers.. Depending on if they're stacked, ordered and whatnot..

Title: Re: bookworm
Post by redPEPPER on Jan 29^th, 2003, 2:55am

The version I heard also asked for a measure (in inches or cm, whatever). It provided the thickness of a page and the thickness of a cover, so that you could think the problem was to calculate it, and you could think you got the catch when you don't count for the first front cover and last back covers. This simplified version is too much of a hint that there's a catch (it can't just be 10 * 1000) and with the covers out of the way, it's not misleading enough ;D

Title: Re: bookworm
Post by BNC on Jan 29^th, 2003, 3:21am

Yes, but as towr had pointed, it depends on the order of the books. Are they in order? Maybe the last book in right next to the first book?

And I may add that the language of the books may also play part in the riddle (are the books written left-to-right or right-to-left?)

Title: Re: bookworm
Post by wowbagger on Jan 29^th, 2003, 3:50am

on 01/29/03 at 03:21:35, BNC wrote:

Yes, but as towr had pointed, it depends on the order of the books. Are they in order? Maybe the last book in right next to the first book?

Couldn't one argue that "first" and "last" refer to the books as arranged (as randomly as you like) on the shelf instead of referring to the number in the set?

Quote:

And I may add that the language of the books may also play part in the riddle (are the books written left-to-right or right-to-left?)

That's an interesting point. But then again if they are written right-to-left, the "first" book will be the one farthest to the right, right?

Title: Re: bookworm
Post by lukes new shoes on Jan 29^th, 2003, 4:07am

ok, the books are in english and are arranged in order, from left to right, they are upright with the spines of the books pointing towards the viewer. there are no other books between the encyclopedias.
the worm can eat books at a rate of 2 paragraphs per minute with a diameter thru the pages of 2cm.
the bookcase is made from immitation pine and is finished with a water based lacquer.

Title: Re: bookworm
Post by Garzahd on Jan 29^th, 2003, 9:54am

2 paragraphs per minute? What the heck? We have literate worms now?

Title: Re: bookworm
Post by aero guy on Jan 29^th, 2003, 12:15pm

Hmm, I think you are going for 8,002, but when we say there are 1,000 pages per encyclopedia we mean by counting page numbers, but when we ask how many he eats through we mean sheets of paper, so 4,002 should be right.