Just three tricky questions: the world's shortest test will show your IQ

In a world where everyone strives for knowledge and self-discovery, there are many ways to measure intelligence. Traditionally, this is done with the help of various IQ tests.

Such tests usually take a lot of time, but there are three questions that will test your intelligence in record time. They were shared by IFLScience.

In 2005, American professor Shane Frederick proposed a completely new approach to determining IQ. He developed a test consisting of only three questions aimed at assessing your intuitive reactions compared to your more rational thought processes.

Questions

1. A bat and a ball cost $1.10. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
2. If 5 machines take 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long will it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?
3. There is an area in a lake with lilies. Every day the size of the layer doubles. If it takes 48 days for the flowers to cover the entire lake, how long will it take for them to cover only half of it?

At first glance, these questions may seem incredibly simple, but it's worth remembering that they were designed specifically to see how well you ignore your intuition. That is, the first answer that comes to mind is probably wrong.

It's worth noting that only 20 percent of the test subjects at Harvard University, 26 percent at Princeton University, and 48 percent at MIT were able to answer all three questions correctly. Therefore, if you can cope with this task, you can safely consider yourself an exceptionally intelligent person.

Correct answers

• 1 question - 5 cents

If you said 10 cents, you made the most common mistake. However, with a more conscious approach, you may find that a $0.05 ball and a $1.05 bat fulfill all the conditions.

• 2 questions - 5 minutes

The intuitive answer would be to continue with the pattern, 100 minutes for 100 machines to create 100 widgets. However, in reality, machines don't start working slower if there are more of them.

• 3 questions - 47 days

The most likely answer here is 24 days, because most people have an instinctive desire to halve the number of days. However, if the size of the layer doubles every day, it means that it was halved in just one day before 48 days, so the answer is 47.

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