Today Puzzle #656
Puzzle No. 656 鈥� Friday 17 January
"Stick with Maths" is the new pack of free resources for primary aged children from Premier League Primary Stars. Combining Bobby Seagull's love of maths with football sticker stats, here is a typical question.
You are a Player Liaison Officer and have been asked to drive three Liverpool strikers to a training session. Disaster! You have a problem with your car suspension and can only take the two lightest strikers.
Salah and Mané together weigh 140kg.
Firmino and Salah together weigh 147kg.
Mané and Firmino together weight 145kg.
What is the weight of each player? Who will be left behind?
Today’s #PuzzleForToday has been set by Bobby Seagull, school maths teacher, author and Cambridge University Doctorate student.
Click here for the answer
Salah - 71kg
Mané - 69kg
Firmino - 76kg
As Firmino is the heaviest player, he will be left behind.
There are multiple methods to solve, including trial and improvement. You can set up simultaneous equations:
S + M = 140 (1)
F + S = 147 (2)
M + F = 145 (3)
S = 140 - M
S = 147 - F
So 140 - M = 147 - F
F - M = 7. F = M + 7
M + M + 7 = 145
Then solve for M = 69. F = 76. S = 71
-
![]()
Puzzle for Today 鈥� Index
Find all of the currently available Puzzles for Today, with answers.
More fiendish brain-teasers and quizzes on 大象传媒 Radio...
-
![]()
From autumn leaves to the magic roundabout: test yourself with our favourite quizzes.
-
![]()
We asked the intelligence agency to set our listeners a code-cracking challenge... Can you solve it?
-
![]()
Quiz: How many of these Mastermind music questions can you answer?
Here's a chance to find out whether your specialist subject on Mastermind could be the entire history of music.
-
![]()
Six conundrums to grapple with, including the Riddle of the Sphinx. Try not to forfeit your life...
