Let there be light
You are in a room with three light switches, labeled 1,2 and 3. They are all in the "off" position. You are told that in a different room, (whose interior is not currently visible to you from the current room), there are three light bulbs, labeled A, B and C. Your goal is to determine which switch controls which bulb. You are allowed to turn on or off any switch, but once you go to the room with the bulbs, you are not allowed to return to the first room. How do you do it?
posted by Ryan at 9:34 AM
5 Comments:
Turn two of the lights on, after a couple of minutes, turn one off. Go over to the other room the one that is on is the one you left on, the one that is warm is the one your just turned off and the one that is cold and off is the switch you didnt touch.
That is my guess.
9:43 AM
Ok, that works. I award you the win. But as a follow up, bonus question: Assume they are regular store bought light bulbs, but now they are on the ceiling, and there is no way to touch them. How would you do it then?
9:56 AM
well you could turn one on for like 3 hours, then turn on another one. Go over to the other room and then wait and see which one burns out sooner. That is the one you turned on three hours earler.
3:18 PM
hopefully you dont have to wait until it burns out, maybe just till it is dimmer than the other. but that assumes that each bulb has exactly the same life and same rate of deterioration.
11:26 AM
Matt is awarded a bonus point.
3:29 PM
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