Strawberry Fields Forever
A man conducting a survey visits the home of a woman. He knocks on the door and sees a woman with her three children. He asks for the ages of her children. She tells him, “The product of their ages is 72. And the sum of their ages is the number on the door.” So the man goes outside and checks the number of the door. He comes back and says, “I need more information.” She replies: “The oldest one likes strawberries.” Immediately, the man figures out their ages. What are their ages?
Submitted by [email protected].
nope — email [email protected]
Easy – the answer is
The ages are:
2 4 9
2*4*9 = 72
2+4+9 = 15
tried emailing you — email me at sjm1 AT williams.edu
what is the answer to the medium level strawberry fields forever
What is the answer to this problem of medium strawberry fields forever
your email address didn’t work — email me at sjm1 AT williams.edu
well done — your soln is correct, you can email me at sjm1 AT williams.edu
By the way I never looked at any hints or anything until now… So proud :’)
Anonymous: correct (sjm1 AT williams.edu)
no – email me at sjm1 AT williams.edu
4 3 6
email me: sjm1 AT williams.edu
Christy: glad you enjoyed the problem (sjm1 AT williams.edu)
I love this problem, I started thinking that since the oldest likes strawberries he/she must be older than a toddler (so he/she could enjoy them) I guess that is my mothering instinct haha. The answer just came to me and I never thought about using the other factors of 72. this is a cute problem 🙂
I”ll send a hint /s
Please, what is the answer?
the solution…pretty please…with strawberries on top?
Loki: well done!
Hmm — my program says the email reached you. You can email me directly at sjm1 AT williams.edu, and I can send it to you directly. //s
I’ll send a hint. Let me know if that helps. //s
what is the answer?
nope
2 36 1
xiaomilk: correct — you can also send email to sjm1 AT williams.edu
I know I got the answer already but I just wanna clarify something. Since the man has to ask another question, that means there are 2 triples that give 72 when multiplied together and give the same number on the door when added together. That would be 8,3,3 and 6,6 2, so when the lady answered that the oldest child likes strawberries, it would be eliminated down to 8,3 and 3, thus the answer, right? I believe I did not add this point in my answer. And as to the reason why there is definitely a twin among the children, the question would have several possibilities e.g. 9,4,2 and 12,3 and 2 ( both add up to 17 when all numbers are added and gives 72 when multiplied together ). Am I right?
I’ll send a hint first. //s
Can I have the soln for this?
it was kind of a hunch. nice site btw. love the riddles =)
xiaomilk: correct, not posting as it’s the soln
sure — emailed you a hint to start, if that doesn’t help email sjm1 AT williams.edu
plz am going crazy .mail me the ans asap plz tnxs
I’ll send a hint first — let me know (sjm1 AT williams.edu) how that goes.
you have three numbers that multiply to 72.
so, assume they’re all integers. you know the door number. so, if there is only ONE triple that adds to a given integer, you have enough info. You clearly don’t have enough info, as you have to ask the lady another question, so there must be TWO triples with the same sum. What does knowing there is an eldest child tell you? THAT is what her answer gives!
Can u email me the answer??
sure //s
Answer Please!! [email protected]
To anonymous at 12:45am your time: correct, well done! not posting as it’s the soln //s
no, sorry. let me know if you want a hint (sjm1 AT williams.edu)
is it 4, 3, and 6?
will send mine so we can compare ..s
I would love a solution…I think I have it…
sure, sending ..s
I would love the solution to Strawberry Fields Forever! Thanks.
Done, enjoy. //s
send me the answer please,
sure, will do
Can someone give me the answer to this one? [email protected]
to awesome: correct, well done — not posting as its the soln
can you give me the solution please
nope — email me at [email protected] if you want to chat about the answer / get a hint
Is it 9,4 and 2
J-crew: correct, well done; not posting as it’s the soln.
sure /s
Can you Please send me the answer to this riddle at [email protected]
Kher ([email protected]): looks correct
2..4..9, 3..4..6, 3..3..8, 1..3..24, 1..4..18, 1…2..36, 2…3…12
if she has twins than 3…3..8 is correct
not quite — email me at [email protected] for a hint / soln
2,4, and 9
ok, will do
plz send me the answer at: [email protected]
sure ..s
send me the anwser at [email protected]
sure, sent. //s
can you please send me the anwser……..this riddle is driving me crazyyyyyyy XD
Not quite — email me at [email protected] if you want to discuss.
The twins (assuming the youngest are twins) are 4 and the oldest is 6.
If this is wrong, I don’t see how it could be a sum on a door….what is the number on the door??
SirMordred: Correct! Not posting as this is the soln
It does depend on how one looks at twins. For this riddle, they want you to consider two people who are the same number of years old as the same age.
But even with twins there is an oldest child. Stating the oldest likes strawberries doesn’t eliminate that there still may be twins. My brother in law is a twin and since he was the first one out, he is considered the oldest child in his family. It depends how one looks at twins.
it means she has a unique, eldest child. let me know if this isn’t enough of a hint ([email protected])
How does knowing that the sum of their ages is on the door help solve this riddle?
nope, sorry
Are their ages 2, 4, and 9?
it tells you that there is an OLDEST child, and not two twins who are the oldest together.
Do I have to know something about strawberries in order to figure this out? I don’t see, with my given knowledge of strawberries, how strawberries can eliminate a possibility.
Kimberly: Correct! Not posting as it is the soln.
Beth: your email account didn’t work. Email me at [email protected] if you want a hint.
not sure
Email me at [email protected] for more of a hint if this isn’t enough. Strawberries are included to eliminate the possibility that the oldest child is a twin.
Not able to figure the imporatnce of strawberries in this 🙁
This is a mathematical riddle — the information provided does lead to a math problem.
GIVE RIDDLES
Not quite. look for the following: you need two triples that have the same sum, and one of the triples must have the two largest numbers the same, the other has the two largest numbers differing.
12, 6, 1
I don’t see how either works. Hint: the product and sum have to have just two decompositions, each with a repeated value.
I think 9,8,1 is the best answer and fits the strawberries logic better than 6,4,3.
Nope — this is one of the possibilities, and the ‘strawberry’ question is designed to eliminate this.
Is it 2,6 & 6?
I’m not saying whether or not your answer is correct, but I will say the logic is wrong — it doesn’t have anything to do with 8 and oo being similar, though that’s an extremely clever idea! Remember “Forever” is just in the title of the riddle, not in the riddle itself.
Is it 3, 3, 8? Because 8 looks like the infinity symbol to represent strawberry fields “forever” (forever = infinity)? This is a wild guess. There are so many other combinations that could be the answer.
To mark: yes, your soln is correct for strawberry fields (not posting it as it is correct).
Email to you failed — try emailing me at [email protected]
can u email me da answer ???
Nope — the answer doesn’t have to do with the word strawberries; anything would work.
12 3 and 2? Considering there are 12 letters in strawberries
Hint: there are two different triples that could work, but one of them has the largest number repeated while the other does not.
I cannot even begin to figure this riddle out!!! Hint please?