Daily Math Puzzle: 2026-08-11
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2026-08-11
In an amusement park, there are three switches, but they are not labelled. Each switch corresponds to one of three light bulbs in a room. Each light bulb is either on or off. You can turn the switches on and off as many times as you want, but you can only enter the room one time to observe the bulbs. How can you figure out which switch controls which light bulb? You can try the switches in any order, but you must solve the problem in three steps or less. Which of the following strategies will work?
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Solution
Turn one switch on for 5 minutes, then turn it off. Turn another switch on and immediately enter the room. — The correct strategy involves turning one switch on for 5 minutes, then turning it off. Then, turn another switch on and immediately enter the room. Here's how it works: if a bulb is hot but off, it corresponds to the switch that was turned on for 5 minutes. If a bulb is on, it corresponds to the switch that was most recently turned on. If a bulb is cold and off, it corresponds to the switch that was never turned on. This strategy works because it uses the heat of the bulbs as an additional piece of information to solve the puzzle in three steps or less.
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