#2 53. ALPHABET BLOCKS

Small children have alphabet blocks, adults have mental blocks,
but the last straw is to have a mental block about an alphabet block!

  Illustrated are four views of the same alphabet block,
  a block having a letter on each of its six faces.
  Can you complete the fourth picture by correctly drawing in the missing letter?

Hints and strategies

Hint 1
Hint 2

Solution

Extensions

HINT 1

Draw a simple t shaped net of six squares for the cube and try putting the letters in – the right letters and the right orientations in the squares.

HINT 2

Did you have difficulties? Notice that the X is not helpful in determining orientations. More importantly, are there two different capital letters which might be confused?

SOLUTION

The letters N and Z both appear on the block and cause confusion. In the given net for the cube, use Figure 1 to place E, N (say) and T. Next from Figure 2, place Z and V as shown. From Figure 3, place X. Now in Figure 4, it is clear that the missing letter is a V in the position ‘<‘.

EXTENSION

1. The ‘trick’ in this puzzle is the confusion between the letters N and Z. Are there other capital letters which could be confused? lower case letters? Make up some puzzles of your own.

2. In the given puzzle, the letter ‘X’ is not very helpful because of its symmetry. Investigate using other capital letters which have special symmetries.