Logic & Reasoning – Foundation Level Problems
Prompt: Given: All X’s are Y’s, but only some Y’s are Z’s. Which of the following
statements are true?
(1) No X’s can be Z’s.
(2) If something is not a Y, then it is not an X.
(3) If something is a Z, then it is not an X.
Answer: (2) is true.
Mathematics Teacher April 2000 V93 N4
Prompt: A small Middle Eastern town has a population of 10,000 people. Some of
these people are one-legged people and wear only one sandal. Of the rest of the
population, exactly half go barefoot. How many sandals are worn in the town?
Answer: 10,000
Math’s Mate Gold, J.B. Wright, 1995
Prompt:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Given a chain with 7 links what is the fewest number of links that needs to
be cut so that you could hand a person any number of links from 1 to 7? A
cut link is counted as a link (think of welding it back together after you
remove it)
Repeat with 23 links
Grassl and Mingus. "Problem Solving: Exploring paths less Travled." 2005: 77-99.
Prompt: In your drawer you have 4 white socks, 2 black socks, 2 red socks, 6 brown
socks, and 4 green socks. There is a power failure and you reach into the drawer in the
dark. How many socks must you take with you to ensure you have a pair of the same
color?
Math’s Mate Gold, J.B. Wright,, 1995
Prompt: The houses along our side of the street are numbered in consecutive odd
numbers, the even numbers being on the other side of the street. Our house is number
69, but, had the numbering commenced at the other end of the street, our house would
have been number 43. How many houses are there on our side of the street?
Answer: 56
Math’s Mate Gold, J.B. Wright,, 1995