Minute Mystery: The Puzzling Bridge

Bite-sized brain teaser to solve in a minute or less.

 

 

The Puzzling Bridge

Category: Lateral Thinking, Logic

Four friends need to cross a rickety bridge at night. They have one flashlight which they need to cross, and the bridge can only hold two people at a time. Their individual crossing times are 1, 2, 5, and 10 minutes. When two people cross together, they move at the slower person’s pace.

What is the minimum total time required for all four to cross?

 

 

Solution

The optimal strategy would be:
  1. The 1-minute and 2-minute friends cross with the flashlight (2 minutes).
  2. The 1-minute friend returns with the flashlight (1 minute).
  3. The 5-minute and 10-minute friends cross together with the flashlight (10 minutes).
  4. The 2-minute friend returns with the flashlight (2 minutes).
  5. Finally, the 1-minute and 2-minute friends cross again with the flashlight (2 minutes).
    Total time = 2 + 1 + 10 + 2 + 2 = 17 minutes.

 

It would take a minimum of 17 minutes for all four to cross the bridge.

 

 

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