Cucumbers

You had 10kg of cucumbers, each of which consisted of 99% water. After leaving them in the sun, some of the water in the cucumbers evaporated. If the cucumbers ended up with 98% water in them, how much of their weight did they lose?

The cucumbers lost half of their weight.

If the water was 99% of the total weight, the remaining substance must have weighed 0.1kg. If after the evaporation the substance comprises 2% = 1/50 of the cucumbers, the total weight must be 50 x 0.1kg = 5kg.

Two Barbers

There are only two barbers in one town. One of the barbers has a neat haircut and a clean working place. The other barber’s haircut is a total mess and his working place is dirty. Which barber would you choose to give you a haircut and why?

You should choose the second barber. Since there are only two barbers, the chances are that they give each other haircuts. Also, probably the second barber’s salon is dirtier because he has lots of work and does not have time to clean up properly.

The Sheikh and the Camels

A Sheikh dies, leaving behind three sons, 17 camels, and the following order:

1. The oldest son shall inherit one in two camels.
2. The middle son shall inherit one in three camels.
3. The youngest son shall inherit one in nine camels.

Now the three sons do not know what to do. They ask an old friend of the family for advice, and he finds a solution. What does the friend propose?

The friend lent them one camel to make the camels 18. The first son took 9 camels, the second son took 6 camels, the third son took 2 camels. Then the friend took back his camel.