Brain Teasers
Perfectly Square Island
There is a perfectly square island, with a very deep moat around it, which is 2m wide all the way around. A man needs to get onto this island and has the use of two planks of wood, 2m wide. They are not long enough to bridge the gap (he obviously needs some overlap each side); he has no means to attach the planks together by nails, glue, screws, etc, or to saw them or change them in any other way. He can't jump, swim, fly or get to the island by any other means than by walking over the planks. How can he do it?
Hint
TTTThink about the cornersAnswer
You have two squares, really, an outer and inner one. He can place one plank at an angle of 45 degrees over an outer corner (like a triangle, with a right angle at the corner of the outside square). He can place the other plank from the middle of the first plank to the corner of the island!Hide Hint Show Hint Hide Answer Show Answer
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