If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?
Common Wrong Answers
“100 minutes”
This answer assumes that all 100 machines work sequentially rather than simultaneously. Since each machine operates independently, they can produce widgets in parallel.
“1 minute”
This guess implies that the machines can produce widgets much faster than they actually can. The rate established by the riddle is that it takes 5 minutes for any machine to make a widget.
“25 minutes”
This answer incorrectly assumes that the time taken increases with the number of machines. In reality, the time remains constant because each machine is still producing at the same rate.
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