Suspension Bridge Logic Puzzle

Suspension Bridge Logic Puzzle

One crisp autumn day, 12 friends went on a hike to the Mile High Swinging Bridge on Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.   They decided that in order to cross the bridge safely, they should do so in single file.

The friends’ names were Sarah, Amanda, Lakin, Connor, Lindsey, Ross, Billy, Taylor, Samantha, Blake, Emily, and Marisa.

Can you figure out the order in which they started across the bridge?

1. Samantha started across three people after Marisa. Marisa started two people after Lindsey.
2. Amanda started across two people before Sarah, who started two people before than Lindsey, who started three people ahead of  Taylor. Amanda was not the first person to start across the bridge.
3. Blake started across two people after Billy.
4. Emily started across three people ahead of Billy.
5. Connor started across two people before Ross. Connor was also not the first one to start across.
6. Ross started across just after Sarah.

Scroll down for the answer….

A little farther …

Here’s how you can figure out the order.

From sentence 1, we have …

Lindsey, ___, Marisa, ___, ___, Samantha

From sentence 2, we know that Sarah started two people before Lindsey,  and Amanda was two before Sarah.

Amanda, ___, Sarah, ___, Lindsey, ___, Marisa, ___, ___, Samantha

and that Lindsay was was three ahead of Taylor, so Taylor must have been right behind Marisa.

Amanda, ___, Sarah, ___, Lindsey, ___, Marisa, Taylor, ___, Samantha

From sentence 6, we know that Ross came right after Sarah, so …

Amanda, ___, Sarah, Ross, Lindsey, ___ Marisa, Taylor, ___ Samantha

From sentence 6, we know that Connor was two people ahead of Ross.

Amanda, Connor, Sarah, Ross, Lindsey, ___, Marisa, Taylor, ___ Samantha

Now we have Billy, Blake and Emily to account for.  They have to fit this pattern.

Emily, ___, ___, Billy, ___ Blake

That works if Blake is the last to start across the bridge.

Amanda, Connor, Sarah, Ross, Lindsey, Emily, Marisa, Taylor, Billy, Samantha, Blake

BUT, Amanda wasn’t the first across!  What have we missed?  We’re missing the one friend that wasn’t mentioned in any of the sentences — Lakin.  Lakin led the way across the swinging bridge.  So the full order…

Lakin, Amanda, Connor, Sarah, Ross, Lindsey, Emily, Marisa, Taylor, Billy, Samantha, Blake.