Riddles
 

A riddle came up at lunch.

There are two rooms. One has a light bulb and the other has three light switches in it.

You start in the room with the switches and can only go through the door once. How can you work out which switch turns the light bulb on?

Nothing can be dismantled and you can't see though the door.

[QUOTE=henryzz;464659]A riddle came up at lunch.

There are two rooms. One has a light bulb and the other has three light switches in it.

You start in the room with the switches and can only go through the door once. How can you work out which switch turns the light bulb on?

Nothing can be dismantled and you can't see though the door.[/QUOTE]

find the ones that work the fans and light in the room you are in eliminate them leaving one left that has to be the light of the other room.

[QUOTE=science_man_88;464660]find the ones that work the fans and light in the room you are in eliminate them leaving one left that has to be the light of the other room.[/QUOTE]

The other two switches do nothing.

[QUOTE=henryzz;464659] ...and can only go through the door once.... [/QUOTE]

Can you go outside and check through the window? :smile:

[QUOTE=henryzz;464664]The other two switches do nothing.[/QUOTE]

can you see under the door ?

There must be a trick to it, maybe the switches?
All possible cases for the switches:
[LIST=1][*]leaving all of them off[*]turning on 1[*]turning on 2[*]turning on all[/LIST]Just thinking: [SPOILER] Case 1-4 are the opposite, with them we can confirm that the switches do something.With case 2 if the light isn't on, then we have a 50% (sub)chance to guess the right one from the remaining ones if it's on, if it's on we have found it (33% in total), with case 3 is the opposite of case 2.[/SPOILER]
So:
[SPOILER]It's similar to [STRIKE]that 3 door thing show where they show the wrong door[/STRIKE] Monty Hall problem [/SPOILER].

[QUOTE=henryzz;464659]You start in the room with the switches and can only go through the door once. [/QUOTE]
[SPOILER]Open the door, but don't go. Check all switches one by one.[/SPOILER] ^_^

[SPOILER]It's a riddle, not a problem, - don't expect there to be a logical solution.[/SPOILER]

Most people assume that the door is either closed or cannot be opened.

Solution I THINK .... spoiler alert.
 

[SPOILER]1. Turn on light switch 1 and wait for 3 minutes (or so)
2. Turn it off and turn on light switch 2 and immediately enter the room.
3. If the light is off it is switch 3.
4. If it is on:
- and the bulb is cool it is switch 2.
- and the bulb is warm it was switch 1.

This solution assumes you can get close enough to the bulb to touch it.[/SPOILER]

Right, then solve it for 3 bulbs!
Each bulb has exactly one switch, you need to find the switch for each bulb.

[QUOTE=R. Gerbicz;464686]Right, then solve it for 3 bulbs!
Each bulb has exactly one switch, you need to find the switch for each bulb.[/QUOTE]
[SPOILER]Same setup. Each bulb will be in a different state (hot/off, on, cold/off)[/SPOILER]