11.1k views
5 votes
I left my campsite and hiked south for 3 miles. Then I turned east and hiked for 3 miles. After that, I turned north and hiked for 3 miles, at which time I came upon a bear inside my tent eating my food! What color was the bear?

a. Black
b. Brown
c. White
d. It doesn't say

User WhoSayIn
by
7.5k points

2 Answers

6 votes
White. The answer is white, c. Because, you can hike 3 miles south, then east for 3 miles, then north for 3 miles and end up back at your starting point is the North Pole. And the only bears in the North Pole are white.
User Nicolas Mandica
by
6.8k points
1 vote

Final answer:

The only bear that would be found where the described path takes you back to your starting point is a polar bear, and polar bears are white.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario described in the question suggests a situation where someone travels in a square path, starting from a campsite and returning to it, encountering a bear inside the tent upon returning. Given the specified travel path -- south, then east, then north, for the same distance each time -- it's likely that the person's starting and ending point are the same. This hints at a high latitude scenario where this type of path would bring you back to your starting point, which is characteristic of the North Pole area. The only bear at the North Pole is the polar bear, which is white.

Therefore, the color of the bear in the question is white (c). This riddle-like question is less about mathematics and more of a logic puzzle, testing the student's ability to think beyond the numeric values given and apply geographic and biological knowledge.

User Jessicah
by
7.5k points