Every now and then we come face to face with a riddle or a puzzle that would have everyone scratching their heads. Such puzzles sure are a fun way to spend your time as you wait for the quarantine to come to an end during the current COVID-19 pandemic. One such puzzle recently made rounds on social media and family WhatsApp groups.
You need a 3 digit code to unlock the lock but you have to figure it out using the following hints!
- 682: One digit is right and in its place
- 614: One digit is right but in the wrong place
- 206: Two digits are right but both are in the wrong place
- 738: All digits are wrong
- 380: One digit is right but in the wrong place
Give this a try on your own and then when you are ready, scroll down to find the solution to this problem!
Okay, let’s get ready and start untangling this problem to get some basics right.
Clue 4: 738 – All Digits Are Wrong
Let’s start here because this will help you eliminate certain digits from the mix.
Clue 5: 380 – One Digit Is Right But In The Wrong Place
Using the last clue, we already know that 3 and 8 are wrong digits that leave 0 to be the right one but its placement is wrong. Thus leaving us with the statement that 0 can either be the first digit or the second.
Clue 3: 206 – Two Digits Are Right But Both Are In The Wrong Place
We know that 0 is the right digit which leaves us with either 2 or 6. Furthermore, we now know that 0 can’t also be in second place thus making 0 the first digit of the combination.
Clue 1: 682 – One Digit Is Right And In Its Place
We couldn’t figure out whether 6 was the right digit or if it was 2. This clue will clear it up for us. The clue states that one digit is right and in its place. We know that it can’t be 8. That leaves us with 6 and 2. 6 is the first digit but we know that the first place is for 0 thus leaving us with only 2.
Clue 2: 614 – One Digit Is Right But In The Wrong Place
This is too easy now. We know that 6 is wrong and that leaves us with 1 and 4 but digit 4 is at the place of digit 2 and this implies that the final digit to be added is 4 but in the second place.
So, the code is 042! Although, there have been some other strong arguments about the right answer.