rec.puzzles Archive

You have two one-hour fuses, but the fuses do not burn uniformly.

logic/fuses

Problem

You have two one-hour fuses, but the fuses do not burn uniformly.
How can you time 45 minutes?
Show solution
Light both ends of one fuse and one end of the other.  The first fuse
will burn out in thirty minutes, at which time you light the other end
of the second fuse.  It will burn out in 15 minutes, giving a total of
45 minutes.