W H _ N
I
S P _ K _ ,
S _ Y
_ T
W _ S
X
M _ N _ T _ S
_ F T _ R
1 0
_ ' C L _ C K
-
_ . _ ,
( 6 0 - X )
M _ N _ T _ S
B _ F _ R _
1 1
_ ' C L _ C K .
5 8
-
X
=
2 ( X
-
2 5 )
X
=
3 6
T H _ R _ F _ R _ ,
T H _
T _ M _
W _ S
1 0 : 3 6 Clue
THE TIME IS 9PM (OR 21:00 HOURS) RIGHT NOW. THERE ARE 12 HOURS BETWEEN THE 2 TIMES (1PM AND 1AM), AND HALF OF THAT TIME IS 6 HOURS. SO, THE HALFWAY MARK WOULD HAVE TO BE 7PM (1PM + 6 HOURS). IF IT WAS 7PM TWO HOURS AGO, THE TIME WOULD BE 9PM NOW 66 SECONDS. WHEN THE CLOCK STRUCK SIX, THERE WERE ONLY 5 INTERVALS BETWEEN STROKES, AND EACH INTERVAL WAS 6 (30/5) SECONDS. BETWEEN THE FIRST AND TWELFTH STROKES THERE WILL BE 11 INTERVALS OF 6 SECONDS EACH; THEREFORE, 12 STROKES WILL TAKE 66 SECONDS WHEN I SPOKE, SAY IT WAS X MINUTES AFTER 10 O'CLOCK - I.E, (60-X) MINUTES BEFORE 11 O'CLOCK. 58 - X = 2(X - 25) X = 36 THEREFORE, THE TIME WAS 10:36 LET'S NAME THE ROPES AS A AND B. LIGHT A FROM BOTH THE ENDS AND B FROM ONE END. WHEN A IS FINISHED BURNING WE KNOW THAT 30 MINUTES HAVE ELAPSED AND B HAS 30 MINUTES REMAINING. NOW, LIGHT THE OTHER NON-BURNING END OF B AND START THE TIMER. WHEN B IS FINISHED BURNING, STOP THE TIMER AS 15 MINUTES HAVE ELAPSED