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Equation Detective Puzzle

Equation Detective – Level 1 – Hard

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Four friends – Ethan, Chloe, Mason, and Isla – each bought a different item: smoothie, panini, salad, or pasta. Each purchased on a different weekday (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday). Each item had a different cost.

Read more about how to solve these puzzles here

Clues:

  1. The smoothie cost twice as much as the salad.
  2. Chloe didn’t buy anything on Monday or Friday.
  3. Mason spent £1 less than Isla.
  4. The pasta cost £9.
  5. The total spent by Chloe and Ethan was £10.
  6. Mason did not buy the pasta or the panini.
  7. The panini cost £2 more than the salad.
  8. Ethan’s item cost £2 less than Chloe’s.
  9. Isla purchased her item on Wednesday.
  10. Chloe did not buy the smoothie.
  11. The smoothie cost £1 less than the pasta.
  12. Ethan did not buy anything on Friday.

Your Workings For Equation Detective

Enter your working out in this box, including your suggested solution.
Your Answers:
Name Food Day Price
Ethan
Chloe
Mason
Isla

Reveal the Answer

Reveal Answer
Additional instructions for Equation Detective (Level 1, Hard)

Equation Detective – Hard

Don’t rush the “hard clues”. The official method is to leave them until you’ve built enough structure. That’s exactly what makes Hard manageable.

Recommended routine:

  • Complete as much of the grid as possible using easy positives + elimination.
  • Only then tackle multi-part clues (those referencing several people/items/days/prices at once).
  • Convert multi-part clues into smaller pieces (one constraint per line) and apply them one at a time.

Pro tip: if you’re unsure between two options, mark them lightly and see which one creates a contradiction when you apply the next clue.

Full help: Equation Detective

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