Buoy Howdy - Futility Closet

Buoy Howdy

From Russian puzzle maven Boris Kordemsky:

Two diesel ships leave a pier at the same time. One travels upstream, the other downstream, each with the same motive power. As they depart, one drops a lifebuoy into the water. An hour later, both ships reverse course. Which will reach the buoy first?

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Consider the situation from the perspective of the floating buoy. Now there is no current; the two ships move away from the buoy at equal speeds and return at equal speeds. They’ll reach it simultaneously.

July 25, 2013August 2, 2013 | Puzzles