Surfaces

Surfaces^**
In the picture below you find 6 matchsticks. If we assume a matchstick is 1 inch long, the enclosed surfce has a size of 2.

Now rearrange the 6 matches into two figures of 6 matchsticks each, in such a way that the surface of one figure is exactly 1.5 time the surface of the other figure.

You can check your solutions here

A new puzzle is published every Friday. Solutions are published after one or more weeks. You are welcome to remark on the difficulty level of the puzzles, discuss alternate solutions, and so on. Puzzles are rated on a scale of 1 to three stars.

Digital matchsticks (4)

Move 2 matchsticks to get a correct equation:

You can check your solutions here

Digital matchsticks (3)

Move 2 matchsticks to get a correct equation:

You can check your solutions here

Digital matchsticks (1)

Move 2 matchsticks to get a correct equation:

You can check your solutions here

Matchsticks – make 3 squares

1) Make 3 squares^*

Move 2 matches to make 3 squares of equal size.

This problem comes from J.A.H. Hunter

You can check your solution here

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Matchsticks – the 3×3 square (1)

Remove 8 matchsticks so that you have
1) 5 squares left
(2 solutions, can you find them both?)
2) 4 squares left
3) 3 squares left
(2 solutions, can you find them both?)
4) 2 squares left

Safety matches, as we know them now, are not very old- they date from 1850–55. They have given rise to a vast array of puzzles – even my modest puzzle library has at least two books entirely developed to matchstick puzzles. Puzzles, like many other topics, are a product of the culture in a certain age. After matchsticks are replaced by other means of making fire, these puzzles will disappear.

If you are puzzled, you can look up the solution solution 1,
solution 2,
solution 3,
solution 4

You can find more puzzles of this type in one of our e-books