Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

A monkey is climbing a 10 meters long bamboo. It climbs 2 meters a second and slips 1 meter in the next second. How long will it take to climb the bamboo?

  1. 18 seconds

  2. 20 seconds

  3. 19 seconds

  4. 21 seconds

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The monkey gains 1 meter every 2 seconds (2m up, 1m down). After 16 seconds, it is at 8 meters. In the next second (the 17th), it climbs 2 meters to reach 10 meters and finishes. However, the standard calculation for these riddles often results in 19 if the slip is counted differently, but 17 is the logical physical answer.