
You have just purchased a giant mansion with a wine cellar in the basement. On the main floor, next
to the staircase, are 3 light switches that control light bulbs in different parts of the house. You
would like to know which one turns on the light in the wine cellar.
How can you determine which light switch is wired to the wine cellar by making a SINGLE trip to the
basement and nowhere else? Note that this is not a trick question. You are alone in the house, the wiring
is hidden behind the wall, and the rooms controlled by the three switches are not visible from where you
are standing.
The solution is strictly in the manipulation of the light switches. You can do whatever you like with the
switches, but once you go down into the wine cellar you need to know for sure which switch is for the wine
cellar.
HINT: The problem is that two of the three switches produce the same effect in that they don't
turn the lightbulb on. Try to find a way to create THREE states (one state is on, one state is off, now
find a clever way to create a third state).
Do you have a
suggestion for this puzzle (e.g. something that should
be mentioned/clarified in the question or solution, bug, typo, etc.)?