What is the largest number you can get by moving just two matches?
Puzzles pose real challenges for those that like these types of games. There are many types of puzzles and they can vary greatly in their complexity. They have been used since ancient times as a tool to develop knowledge, creativity and the ability to solve other problems and puzzles in life.
What we want to show you today is a special "interlocking" puzzle: there is only a very specific combination of moves that can be made to solve this puzzle correctly. The answer therefore requires a lot of brain power. Can you solve this tricky puzzle? Don't worry, you'll be provided with some helpful hints as you try to find the answer!
Riddle/puzzle description
Imagine this puzzle as if it were a jigsaw whose pieces must match up perfectly.
In this case, you have exactly 18 matches in front of you arranged in such a way as to visually display the number "508". These are the rules: you can only and exclusively make two "moves" with only two matches in order to obtain the largest number possible. Try moving, adding, subtracting the wooden matches so that new numbers are able to take shape by replacing the previous ones. A practical example?
By moving the match placed in the center of the 8 and adding it to the number 5, the number 900 can be made (this is not the answer, just an example). Think about it, take some time and have a few trys.
Clues
Are you stumped or do you think you have found the solution? Well, we still want to give you a little clue that could prove decisive in providing the correct answer!
Surely you played around with this puzzle (remember that you can only move 2 matchsticks) so here's a clue for your efforts so far: the correct number is made up of 5 digits!
Yes you read that right: two digits more than what you started with. This clue should help you solve the puzzle (or maybe not!).
The solution
Are you ready for the answer? Have you made an honest effort? Getting 5 digits is the key to providing the one and only correct answer.
So, here it is: the highest number that can be made is 81151. To do this, it is necessary to transform the "0" of 508 into two "1s" by removing two matches from it, the upper one and the bottom one.
In doing so, you get two "1"s and you will still have the removed matches available to make your second move.
At this point, the only move you can make is to use the two matches to create a "1" before the "5" (which will result in "15118"). Now, rotate everything by 180° and get the final solution: "81151". Only two matches moved, maximum figure obtained. Did you succeed in solving this tough puzzle?
