Order Ranking Puzzle

Introduction:

The Order Ranking Puzzle is a form of sequencing puzzle where the goal is to put all items in the correct order. Questions are designed so that the correct order can never be determined by mere observation. The questions cannot be answered without first reading the instructions and answering each question individually, which can only be done after a player has solved at least one question correctly.

What are Logical Reasoning Questions?

Logical Reasoning Questions are questions that require the use of logical reasoning, which is a method of reasoning based on using the relationship between the statements and enable us to arrive at a reliable conclusion. The goal is to draw logical conclusions from given information in order to answer a question. The information can come from numbers, letters, words, shapes and colours. Basically, Logical Reasoning Questions are questions that use logic and inference.

What are Order Ranking Puzzle Questions?

Order Ranking Puzzles are questions that must be answered in the correct order. Because the goal is to put all items in the correct order, there is no way to use trial and error to solve them. The question is not asking what items are used for, but rather which one is used first. The trick with these types of questions is that often you need to do something before you can use an item or do something else with it.

Benefits of Order Ranking Puzzle Questions:

1) They can be very challenging. It is hard to do the order without paying attention to the rules.

2) They can lead to a variety of chains and branching questions in other areas of puzzles.

3) They can help broaden your understanding of how logic and reasoning are used in puzzles

4) They force you to use logic, reasoning, planning and deduction skills that you would not normally use.

5) It is mentally stimulating as it requires the exercise of the brain and diverts focus from the real-world problems that we all face

6) The puzzles that they develop help students better understand computation, data structure, problem-solving strategies, regular expressions, lexicographical sequences and algorithms.

7) They can be challenging and are not easy to solve.

How to form a solution:

Step 1: One should first identify the rules or solutions for the puzzle and then develop a strategy for solving it. Some questions may require us to calculate a sum of numbers, find the sum of ages in lexicographical order or use regular expressions. The main idea is that there are some things that you have to do before you can use an item, but in general, the biggest part of solving these types of puzzles is figuring out what you have to do.

Step 2: If there are no rules for the question then we need to make our own rules by using abstraction and logical induction/deduction skills.

Step 3: Identify all items with the same objective and then arrange them in a group.

Step 4: After all items are grouped, it is easier to find patterns and relationships between them.

Step 5: At this point, we can identify the correct relation between the two items and answer the question by using logical reasoning. If there is no relation between the two items, then we need to use imagination, creativity and abstraction skills to come up with a solution.

Step 6: With this solution in mind, develop an appropriate strategy for solving it. This can be done by identifying a pattern(s) in the puzzle.

Order Ranking Puzzles can also be used in other types of quizzes, applications, and presentations.

Examples:

Answer these questions in the order that they are presented. Which one is second? Which one is third? 

(1) An 8-ball contains 3 yellow balls and 2 red balls. The ball containing 4 yellow balls is removed, but how many red balls remain? What was the quantity of yellow balls before removing the last ball? 

(2) You are fishing around in your left jacket pocket with your right hand when you find a quarter and a dime. You fish again but this time you feel nothing. What colour is the quarter and what colour is the dime?

(3) A game of mahjong is played with 13 tiles. If four tiles are selected, how many options are there for the remaining tiles?

(4) In a game of dominoes, which tile resulted in another tile being discarded?

(5) In a game of briscola, the first player lays down 2 cards. The second player doesn’t know what they are but they must be laid out so that no card can overlap or be placed below another card. How could it be done?

(6) One person holds up a red pipe and another person holds up a blue pipe.

(7) You are playing poker and get dealt 5 cards. Two of the cards are blank, one is a king, two of the other cards are two of a kind. What is the value of the 5th card?

Conclusion:

Logical Reasoning and Order Ranking Puzzles can be used as effective learning tools in schools. They can also be used in quizzes, applications, and presentations.