hardlogic

If it were three hours later than it is now, it would be twice as long until midnight as it would be if it were four hours later. What time is it now?

7PM

Why this works

This riddle plays with time and involves a bit of logical reasoning. Let’s break it down: if it’s currently 7 PM, then three hours later it would be 10 PM, leaving 2 hours until midnight (12 AM). If it were four hours later, it would be 11 PM, leaving just 1 hour until midnight. The riddle states that the time until midnight at 10 PM (2 hours) is twice as long as that at 11 PM (1 hour), which perfectly aligns with the conditions given. Thus, the current time is indeed 7 PM!

Common Wrong Answers

“6PM”

If it were 6PM, three hours later would be 9PM, leaving 3 hours until midnight. Four hours later would be 10PM, leaving 2 hours until midnight. This does not satisfy the riddle's condition of being twice as long.

“8PM”

If it were 8PM, three hours later would be 11PM, leaving 1 hour until midnight. If it were four hours later, it would be 12AM, leaving 0 hours until midnight. This does not satisfy the condition of being twice as long.

“5PM”

If it were 5PM, three hours later would be 8PM, leaving 4 hours until midnight. Four hours later would be 9PM, leaving 3 hours until midnight. This does not satisfy the condition of being twice as long.

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