Riddle of the Week #6: The Burning Rope Problem
We're back with another riddle, and this week's is nice and short, though figuring out the solution can be a bedeviling pursuit.
Question
You have two ropes coated in an oil to help them burn. Each rope will take exactly 1 hour to burn all the way through. However, the ropes do not burn at constant rates-there are spots where they burn a little faster and spots where they burn a little slower, but it always takes 1 hour to finish the job. And they don't burn at the same rate as each other because they are made of different materials.
With a lighter to ignite the ropes, how can you measure exactly 45 minutes?
Hint
You can light multiple ends and/or multiple ropes at the exact same time.
Solution
Think about clever ways to light these ropes on fire for a little bit, then see the solution here. And you can check out a list of all our riddles here.
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