http://ukmaildeliverysubsystem.com/puzzle.html

btw, the answer on the site doesn't work, its just a link to advertising sites![img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

 

I've seen this before, and can't remember the reasoning. Can somebody put me out of my misery before I have to get the graph paper, scissors and crayons out. Please?

 

Here is the answer - Don't read on if you don't want to know






















You are making the asumption the the green and red triangles have similar angles. This is not the case. Therefore, the hypotanuse on the big triange is not a straight line. It is slightly concave on the top one and slightly convex on th bottom one. If you don't believe me, look at the height of the green and red triangles. The green one is 5 squares long. Its heigh at this point is exactly 2 squares tall. The red one is only 1 and a bit tall at the same point. I wish you could draw on here. It would be so much easier to explain

 

lol i c.

basically it ISNT a triangle. Its not a straight line along the hypotonuse (sp) but Fast boy's explanation is better

 

Thanks for the answer there - it's a good job you posted it cos someone has pinched my green crayon