Puzzles

Make a grid (people × attributes) and fill ticks and crosses. A puzzle is solved by elimination, not inspiration.

Start with this

Floor puzzles and number puzzles are seating puzzles in another shape. Build a grid and fill it clue by clue.

Puzzle sets carry many marks. A table with one row per person or floor keeps every clue visible.

Floor puzzles: build the building

Worked example

Five people P, Q, R, S, T live on floors 1 to 5 (1 at the bottom), one per floor. P is on floor 3. Q lives immediately above P. R lives immediately below P. S is not on the top floor. Who lives on floor 5?

1. P = 3, Q = 4, R = 2.
   Why: Fixed clue first, then the two neighbours.
2. Floors 1 and 5 remain for S and T. S is not on top, so S = 1.
3. T lives on floor 5.

Answer: T

Shortcut: Floor puzzle order

Use it when: 5 people, 5 floors.

1. Write floors 5 to 1 vertically.
2. Place the fixed ones, then the 'immediately above/below', then the rest.

Floor puzzle order: try it

A is on the top floor. C is immediately below A. E is on floor 1. B is above D. Who is on floor 3?

1. A5, C4, E1.
2. B above D in floors 2-3 → B3, D2.

Answer: B

Your turn medium

In a group of cows and hens there are 48 heads and 140 legs. How many cows?

1. All hens: 96 legs. Extra 44 / 2 = 22 cows.

Answer: 22

Your turn medium

P, Q, R, S, T live on floors 1-5 (1 = bottom). T is on floor 2. Q is immediately above T. R is on floor 1. S is above P. Who is on floor 5?

1. T2, Q3, R1.
2. P and S take 4 and 5; S above P → S5.

Answer: S

Your turn hard

Three consecutive even numbers add to 138. The largest?

1. Middle 46.

Answer: 48

Recap

• build a table before reading the second clue
• place fixed clues first
• branch when a clue allows two positions

Now practise

4 questions with full solutions.

Open practice Back to the lesson