are you smart enough to work at google?, here are 10 sample headscratchers that google interviewers might throw an applicant's way. can you solve them?
when there's a wind blowing, does a round-trip by plane take more time, less time, or the same time?how does wind affect the length of a flight?
more time
less time
the same time
it depends on the airplane
you put a glass of water on a record turntable and begin increasing the speed slowly. what will happen first: will the glass slide off, will it tip over, or will the water splash out?will a glass of water fall, tip over or have water splash out first?
fall
tip over
have water splash out
depends on the shape of the glass and how full it is
using only a 4-minute hourglass and a 7-minute hourglass, measure exactly nine minutes. you must use both.measure 9 minutes using two hourglasses.
start both hourglasses, flip over the 4-minute glass when it's done, flip both glasses over when the 7-minute glass is done, then flip over the 7-minute glass when the 4-minute glass is done
start both hourglasses, flip over the 4-minute glass when it's done, flip over the 7-minute glass when it's done, let it run 1 minute, then flip it again for the 9th minute
start the 7-minute hourglass, flip the 4-minute hourglass when the 7-minute glass is done, measure 2 minutes using the 4-minute hourglass
start the 4-minute glass, flip it when it's done to measure another 4 minutes, then flip the 7-minute hourglass to measure 1 minute
you're given a cube of cheese and a knife. how many straight cuts of the knife do you need to divide the cheese into twenty-seven little cubes?how many slices does it take to divide cheese into 27 cubes?
10
12
8
6
there are three boxes, and one contains a valuable prize; the other two are empty. you're given your choice of a box, but you aren't told whether it contains the prize. instead, one of the boxes you didn't pick is opened and is shown to be empty. you're allowed to keep the box you originally picked, or swap it for the other unopened box.would you choose the other box, or stay with the one you have? (the person who showed you the box you didn't pick knows which box the prize is in.)
stay with the box you have
switch to the other box
you're in a car with a helium balloon tied to the floor. the windows are closed. when you step on the gas pedal, what happens to the balloon – does it move forward, move backward, or stay put?does the balloon move forward, backward or stay still?
moves forward
moves backward
stays put
at 3:15, what is the angle between the minute and hour hands on an analog clock?what is the angle of the clock hands at 3:15?
0
7.5 degrees
6 degrees
5.5 degrees
you have a choice of two wagers: one, you're given a basketball and have one chance to sink it for $1,000. two, you have to make two out of three shots, for the same $1,000. you are a very good basketball player. which do you prefer?while playing basketball, do you choose one chance to sink it for $1,000 or have to make two out of three?
one chance
take three shots
if you had a stack of pennies as tall as the empire state building, could you fit them all in one room?could you fit a stack of pennies as tall as the empire state building in one room?
yes
no
depends how high the ceiling is
you get on a ski lift at the bottom of the mountain and take it all the way up to the top. what fraction of the lift's chairs do you pass?how many chairs do you pass?
half of them
two-thirds of them
all of them
three-quarters of them
can you swim faster through water or syrup?can you swim faster through water or syrup?
water
syrup
the speed is the same
From: www.csmonitor.com