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One Quick Try

Make 24

Use all four numbers, once each, with + − × ÷ to make exactly 24.

Type
Logic
Takes
about 2-4 min
Result in
puzzles solved

Make 24

~2-4 min

  1. You get four numbers. Use each one exactly once, with + − × ÷, to make 24.
  2. Tap a number, tap an operator, tap another number: the two become one.
  3. 5 puzzles, all solvable. Stuck? Skip one and we'll show you a solution.

+ − * / pick operators; Backspace undoes.

Your result: — / 5

How it's measured

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How this puzzle works

You get four numbers from 1 to 9. Combine them with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division so the final result is exactly 24. Every number must be used exactly once.

To combine two numbers, tap one, tap an operator, then tap the other. The two numbers become one card holding the result, and that card stays selected so you can carry on with it. Keep going until one card is left. If it says 24, the puzzle is solved. Undo takes back one step and Reset returns to the four original numbers.

A round is 5 puzzles. If you're stuck, Skip shows you one way to solve that puzzle and moves on.

Fractions are allowed

Results along the way don't have to be whole numbers. 7 ÷ 2 gives a card showing 7/2, and you can keep working with it. The arithmetic is done with exact fractions, never rounded decimals, so a solution that passes through thirds or quarters lands on exactly 24. Some puzzles can only be solved this way: with 1, 3, 4 and 6 the only route is 6 ÷ (1 − (3 ÷ 4)).

Every puzzle can be solved

There are 495 different sets of four numbers from 1 to 9 (the order doesn't matter, and repeats like 3, 3, 8, 8 are allowed). Our solver tries every way of combining each set and finds that 404 of them can make 24 and 91 cannot. The puzzles you get are drawn only from the 404 solvable ones, so there is always an answer, and the five in a round are all different.

How we calculate your result

Your result is how many of the 5 puzzles you solved. Each puzzle is timed from when its numbers appear to the step that makes 24, and we show the total and the average time for the puzzles you solved. Skipped puzzles aren't timed, and the list under your result shows each set of numbers with its time.

Ways in

  • Look for pairs that multiply to 24: 3 × 8, 4 × 6, 2 × 12. Can the other numbers make the partner?
  • Try getting close and adjusting: 20 + 4, 30 − 6, 25 − 1.
  • Decide which number you want to use last, and build the rest toward it.
  • If nothing works with whole numbers, look for a division that leaves a fraction you can cancel out later.

For a puzzle about planning moves rather than numbers, try the Tower of Hanoi or the River Crossing.

Questions

Can I put two numbers side by side, like 1 and 2 to make 12?
No. Numbers can only be combined with + − × ÷.
Can I use brackets?
You don't need to type them: combining two cards is the same as putting brackets around them. Combining 8 − 4 first and then multiplying by 6 is (8 − 4) × 6.
Why can't some numbers make 24?
Some sets just don't have enough to work with. 1, 1, 1, 1 can reach 4 at most. 91 of the 495 possible sets can't make 24, which is why we only ever give you solvable ones.
What happens if I divide by zero?
Nothing breaks. The move is refused and you can pick a different operator.