Holiday Puzzles 2025

1. WEIGHTY COIN PROBLEM
According to the U.S. Mint, a penny weighs 2.5 grams, a nickel weighs 5 grams, and a dime weighs 2.268 grams. What are the 2 smallest different collections of these coins that are both worth the same amount and weigh exactly the same?

2. TRUE OR FALSE
For each of the 3 equations below, find a polygonal shape that can be cut into either the shapes on the left of the equation, or the shapes on the right.
 
 
 

3. PANDIGITAL EQUATION

Find the only solution to ab/c + de = fg + h/i , where each letter is a different digit from 1 to 9.

4. CLOSEST POINTS
Find a collection of 12 points in the plane so that half of them are closest to exactly 1 point, and the other half of them are closest to 4 other points.

5. HIT PARADE
In a game of backgammon, blue rolls first, white rolls and hits 3 checkers, blue rolls and hits 2 checkers, white rolls and hits 1 checker, and blue rolls and hits 3 checkers. What were the rolls, and how were they played?