Can you solve the 3 Switches and 1 Bulb PUZZLE || Lateral Thinking Question

There is a room, with just one door which is closed and you cannot see inside the room....the room has no windows.
Inside the room there is one bulb.
Outside the room there is a panel with three (3) on/off switches. But Only one switch operates the bulb.
You are allowed to flip the switches on and off as many times as you want before you open the door.
You can enter the room only once to check the bulb. Once you open door, you can no longer touch the switches.... and you have to say which switch is the right one.

Puzzle : How do you tell which switch operates the bulb?

The video has complete explanation of the answer.

Please comment below your answers and suggestions. Also LIKE the video and SUBSCRIBE to my channel if you are new.

[thecwd]

It’s not logic, it’s just being sneaky and doing something that seems to break the rules

[tycoonruler]

Remove the switch panel and interconnect all the wires. Problem solved. 😜

[weckar]

Yeah this doesn't work anymore for most bulbs...

[RichardChen]

This also works for 4 switches and 1 bulb puzzle. If you turn on 1st switch and 2nd switch to keep it on for a few minutes, then turn off the 2nd switch and turn on 3rd switch. Go into the room immediatly to touch the bulb after turning on the 3rd switch, you can get the conclusion as follows:
Switch 1 - bulb on and hot.
Switch 2 - bulb off and hot.
Switch 3 - bulb on but not quite hot.
Switch 4 - bulb off and not hot.

[chillmode]

I have two solutions.

Smash a hole on the door so that you can see the bulb. Keep in mind that you are not "opening" the door.

ANother solution is to check the wires within the switch to find out which has a connection.

[frankie]

The problem with the solution is that you CAN touch the bulb in the DARK room.

[jessicataylor]

You open the door and the light is off. As you move into the room to touch the bulb you hear the door close, the rattle of chains and the click of a padlock...and this is how he always captured his puzzle-loving victims...muahahaha!

[szpoti]

That's why there was this emphasis on 'bulb'. I got puzzled why you didn't say 'lamp'. It drew my attention, because to say 'inside the room, there is a bulb' doesn't mean you can light it up, maybe it's just lying on the floor ;-) Good one!

[Ndayaki]

Now with LED bulb, you'll have to wait for days if you want it to be hot

[TathagataDuttaghetegho]

1. Turn on 1st switch and keep it on for a few minutes.
2. Switch off the 1st switch and turn on 2nd switch.
3. Immediately enter the room.
A. If bulb is on, 2nd switch it is.
B. If bulb is off and warm, then, 1st switch.
C. If bulb is off and cold, then, 3rd switch.

[noobvideos]

I remember back in JR high I was serving 3 days in house dentition (A whole school day plus after school until 5:30pm in dentition room).


On my last day of detention at 3:30pm which was the end of the day for school also a Friday the teacher asked if one of us can figure out this riddle that person can go home early.
Out of 10-13 students I was the one who figured this out and was let out early to go home.

I am 25 now till this day it was probably the best Friday ever. Lol

[cryogeneric]

Wow, this is an old, but good, one. I remember first hearing this riddle back in 1995. I was able to solve it, but it took me a few days before the solution suddenly struck me :)

[netravelplus]

Your explanations are logical too. The problems are interesting.

[aayushjariwala]

If the bulb if off then how can you touch is!!!





It's Dark room!!

[zunkman]

As many have pointed out below, with LED bulbs, this is really no longer a valid puzzle.

[uberfu]

The cracks around the door will let light shine through unless it's water (submarine) or light (darkroom) tight or hermetically sealed. If it's a regular door -- look at the edges -- if you see light - the switch worked then open the door.

[briantravelman]

I saw a version of this puzzle that involved 3 bulbs, and it's been pestering me all night. I assumed it was supposed to be a puzzle that can be solved mathematically, but it seems that there is no way to solve this puzzle without touching the bulb. The closest mathematical solution I can think of that doesn't involve touching the bulb, is to use the Monty Hall paradox. Flip a random switch, and if the bulb is on, lucky guess. If the bulb is OFF, then that eliminates one of the switches. Then using the Monty Hall paradox, you still have a 2/3 shot of guessing the right switch. So you guess a switch, then switch your guess and according to the Monty Hall paradox, your switched guess should be the correct answer. The problem with this however, is that the Monty Hall Paradox doesn't work 100% of time, so in the end there's no way of knowing for sure if your guess is correct.

Now that I think of it, I'm not sure if that would work for the 3 bulbs version of this puzzle. But I'm wondering if there IS an actual mathematical solution to both versions, that doesn't involve touching the bulb.

[saamrat]

i can say which switch it is without opening the door.
all i do is switch on any two of them and wait for a month.if the bill collector comes that makes sure that it is one those two switches.
and now i m gonna switch off one of em and wait for a month. if he comes again its the other one .
if he doesnot come at all the both times it has to be neglected one.

[cipherxen]

Too many lacunas in the solution.

1. The bulb might be unreachable
2. The bulb might not get hot
3. The bulb might cool down before touching
4. Electricity is off (this is acceptable though)

[shashikant-gspj]

I was asked same question in interview for software engineer in united health group company