The Light Bulb Mystery

The Detective Rules

Before we start, here are the rules of the game:

1. Two States: A bulb can only be ON or OFF. No in-betweens!
2. Happy Clues: Every clue we give you is 100% true. You must find the one pattern that makes every clue happy.
3. The “Match-Up” Rule: Sometimes bulbs like to do the same thing. A clue might say “All bulbs must match!”

Practice: The All-In Clue

Let’s try a simple one. We have four bulbs: Red, Yellow, Purple, and Pink.

Clue A: “The lights must all match (All ON or All OFF).” Clue B: “The red light is ON.”

Challenge: Friendly Neighbors

Let’s see how bulbs can be friends.

Clue 1: “Exactly three lights are ON.” Clue 2: “Every Red light that is ON must be next to a Blue light that is also ON.”

Puzzle: The “At Least” Secret

Sometimes clues are a bit mysterious.

Clue 1: “At least one light is ON.” Clue 2: “The lights must all match.”

The Master Mystery

Can you solve this with three tricky clues?

Clue 1: “Exactly three lights are ON.” Clue 2: “The red light is ON.” Clue 3: “Every Red ON light must have a Blue ON neighbor.”

Puzzle: Binary Pairs

Sometimes less is more.

Clue 1: “Exactly two lights are ON.” Clue 2: “The Blue light is OFF.”

Puzzle: Color Balance

Now let’s try counting specific colors.

Clue 1: “Exactly two Red lights are ON.” Clue 2: “Exactly one Yellow light is ON.”

Puzzle: The Exclusion Principle

Logic is often about what isn’t there.

Clue 1: “At least one light is ON.” Clue 2: “The Green light is OFF.” Clue 3: “Exactly two lights are ON.”

The Ultimate Logic Test

Can you handle four clues at once?

Clue 1: “Exactly three lights are ON.” Clue 2: “The Red light is ON.” Clue 3: “Exactly two Pink lights are ON.” Clue 4: “The Blue light is OFF.”