This month’s brain teaser is on the “easier” side (though it is still a brain teaser: hint, hint). As in previous newsletters, it’s also typical of the type of questions you see on standardized tests, especially the GMAT and GRE:
If 4 hens can lay 4 eggs in 4 minutes, how many eggs can 8 hens lay in 8 minutes?
Answer:
The obvious answer (and therefore the one to be avoided) is 8. But if 4 hens can lay 4 eggs in 4 minutes then each hen is laying 1 egg every 4 minutes. So each hen will lay 2 eggs in 8 minutes. And if there are 8 hens, then they will lay 16 eggs altogether.