Riddle Me This: The Safecracker’s Dilemma

Solution:

Let the numbers on the three dials be x, y, and z, where:

• x is the first dial,
• y is the second dial,
• z is the third dial.

Use the clues:

• The sum of the numbers is 13:
  • x+y+z = 13
• The second dial’s number is twice the first dial’s number:
  • y = 2x
• The third dial’s number is one greater than the first dial’s number:
  • z = x + 1

Step-by-Step Solution:

• Substitute y=2x and z=x+1 into the first equation:
  • x + (2x) + (x+1) = 13
• Simplify:
  • 4x + 1 = 13
• Solve for x:
  • 4x = 13 – 1
  • 4x = 12
  • x = 3

With the value of x, we are able to easily solve the other two numbers with basic math.
The combination is 3, 6, 4