At first glance, this puzzle looks incredibly simple. Just three weigh-ins and one missing number… but don’t rush! Many people get it wrong because they guess instead of using a little algebra.
Let’s break it down together.
📝 What We Know
- 🐱 Cat + 🐭 Mouse = 10 kg
- 🐶 Dog + 🐭 Mouse = 20 kg
- 🐶 Dog + 🐱 Cat = 24 kg
The question asks:
How much do the Dog + Cat + Mouse weigh together?
🔍 Step 1: Add All Three Equations
(Cat+Mouse)+(Dog+Mouse)+(Dog+Cat)=10+20+24(\text{Cat}+\text{Mouse})+(\text{Dog}+\text{Mouse})+(\text{Dog}+\text{Cat}) =10+20+24(Cat+Mouse)+(Dog+Mouse)+(Dog+Cat)=10+20+24 545454On the left side, every animal appears twice:
2(Dog+Cat+Mouse)=542(\text{Dog}+\text{Cat}+\text{Mouse})=542(Dog+Cat+Mouse)=54🔍 Step 2: Divide by 2
Dog+Cat+Mouse=27\text{Dog}+\text{Cat}+\text{Mouse}=27Dog+Cat+Mouse=27✅ Correct Answer: 27 kg
If you got 27, congratulations! 🎉
You didn’t just guess—you spotted the mathematical pattern and solved it logically.
If you chose another answer, don’t worry. This type of puzzle is designed to trick your brain into focusing on individual numbers instead of the relationship between them.
🧠 Challenge your friends and see if they can solve it without reading the explanation!
