Time Measurement

Your job is to measure 45 minutes if you have only two cords and matches to light the cords.

1. The two cords are twisted from various materials, so their different segments can burn at different rates.
2. Each cord burns from end to end in exactly one hour.

Describe your way of measuring the 45 minutes.




Similar Riddles

our enemy challenges you to play Russian Roulette with a 6-cylinder pistol (meaning it has room for 6 bullets). He puts 2 bullets into the gun in consecutive slots, and leaves the next four slots blank. He spins the barrel and hands you the gun. You point the gun at yourself and pull the trigger. It doesn't go off. Your enemy tells you that you need to pull the trigger one more time, and that you can choose to either spin the barrel at random, or not, before pulling the trigger again. Spinning the barrel will position the barrel in a random position.

Assuming you'd like to live, should you spin the barrel or not before pulling the trigger again?

Asked by Neha on 04 May 2022


A number with an interesting property:

When I divide it by 2, the remainder is 1.
When I divide it by 3, the remainder is 2.
When I divide it by 4, the remainder is 3.
When I divide it by 5, the remainder is 4.
When I divide it by 6, the remainder is 5.
When I divide it by 7, the remainder is 6.
When I divide it by 8, the remainder is 7.
When I divide it by 9, the remainder is 8.
When I divide it by 10, the remainder is 9.

It's not a small number, but it's not really big, either.
When I looked for a smaller number with this property I couldn't find one.

Can you find it?

Asked by Neha on 21 Nov 2024

A network of 20 x 10 squares is given to you.

Can you calculate how many unique squares and rectangles can be formed combining two or more individual squares ?

Asked by Neha on 24 Jan 2021


A maths symbol is hidden in the below Bar Graph. Can you decipher it?

Maths Symbol Graph

Asked by Neha on 27 Mar 2021

What has hands, but can’t clap?

Asked by Neha on 21 Feb 2022

Bobby and Wilbur decided to take their respective car out of the garage and race. None of them cheated and they both stood at the start time and decided to cover a distance in full throttle. The first to reach the mark was to be declared the winner.

Upon reaching the finishing mark, they found out that Bobby's car was 1.2 times faster than Wilbur's. Now, Wilbur had reached the mark about 1 minute and 30 seconds later than Bobby. Bobby's car reached the mark of 60 MPH on average.

Can you calculate the distance between the starting mark and the final mark with the help of the given data?

Asked by Neha on 08 Mar 2026


The day before yesterday I was 25 and the next year I will be 28. This is true only one day in a year. What day is my birthday?

Asked by Neha on 07 Dec 2025

The captain of a ship is telling you an interesting story and then poses a question. He says, “I have travelled the oceans far and wide. One time, two of my sailors were standing on opposite sides of the ship. One was looking west and the other one east. And at the same time, they could see each other clearly. Can you tell me how that was possible?”

Asked by Neha on 11 Jun 2025

Four men were in a boat on the lake. The boat turns over, and all four men sink to the bottom of the lake, yet not a single man got wet! Why?

Asked by Neha on 22 Oct 2024


It was a dark stormy night and a couple were in a car driving madly to a city. The car broke down and the husband had to go get help from someone who spoke his language. He was afraid to leave his wife alone in the car so he locked the car before leaving. When he came back, the car was in the same state as he had left it but his wife was dead, there was blood on the floor and there was a stranger in the car. What happened?

Asked by Neha on 02 Aug 2024

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Amazing Facts

No Solution

In 2007, a puzzle was released and $2 million prizes were offered for the first complete solution. The competition ended at noon on 31 December 2010, with no solution being found. Wiki