May 2024
Problem of the Month

The Fantastic Formula





1. Determine, by any convenient method, the value of each of the twenty-five variables below.

2. Substitute the value for each variable into the right-hand side of the equation and perform all indicated arithmetic operations.

Use the correct order of operations!





THE CLUES

a = normal body temperature in Celsius

b = the length of a side of a cube whose volume is 125 cm3

c = the value of 1F (base sixteen) in base ten

d = the base ten value of 5736 in base eight

e = the number of piano keys

f = the senses + the Great Lakes

g = (books in a trilogy) x (points in the Star of David)

h = fourscore x starting members of a basketball team

i = degrees in a circle ÷ degrees in a right angle

j = Snow White’s dwarfs + ____ Days in May (book title)

k = floor left out in most hotels x _____ seas

l = alphabet’s letters x dots in a colon

m = “A stitch in time saves _____”

n = freezing point of water (in Fahrenheit)

o = notes in an octave + circles of Hell in Dante's Divine Comedy

p = musketeers x baker’s dozen

q = books of the Bible - golden anniversary

r = blackbirds baked in a pie + golf course holes + two decades

s = bits in a half dollar x days in a week

t = field goal – safety (in football)

u = human adult’s teeth + lucky number + original colonies + Wilson’s points

v = Gospels + the Commandments + The Disciples

w = the R’s + legs of a bovine

x = wisdom teeth x each state’s senators to the U.S. Congress

y = checkerboard squares - Presidents on Mount Rushmore

Many thanks to Austin Hale from Grand Junction, Colorado for finding the error in clue i
(it needed to be the division symbol instead of the addition symbol!)

ALso, many thanks to Seth Cohen from Concord, New Hampshire for finding a problem with the formula.   It wasn't so fantastic after all!

Printer Version



Solution:

a = 37
b = 5
c = 31
d= 3038
e = 88

f = 10
g = 18
h = 400
i = 4
j = 14

k = 91
l = 52
m = 9
n = 32
o = 17

p = 39
q = 16
r = 62
s = 28
t = 1

u = 66
v = 26
w = 7
x = 8
y = 60

z = 1



Correctly solved by:

1. Seth Cohen Concord, New Hampshire, USA
2. K. Sengupta Calcutta, India
3. Dr. Hari Kishan D.N. College,
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
4. Colin (Yowie) Bowey Beechworth, Victoria, Australia



Send any comments or questions to: David Pleacher