Minus' Solution to

Stupid, Cupid!
Posted February 3 - 9, 1997

If the time is between 8:30 and 9:00, the first digit in the time must be 8.

The other two digits are even, so they must be 2 and 4.
8 + 2 + 4 = 14

Which means Cupid releases his arrows at 8:42.

Three 7th grade Math students from Robert Smalls Middle School in Beaufort, South Carolina came up the sweetest of treats for Minus. This first one is from Stacy Adams:

Cupid starts shooting his arrows at 8:42. This is why.
You first take 8:40 and add up the digits. Then you take 8:42 and add up the digits. You can’t use any times in the 8:30’s or 8:50’s because all of the digits have to be even. When you add 8 + 4 + 2, you get 14.

You know that the hour is going to be 8. So, take 8 and start adding. You know that the answer is going to be in 8:40s because the digits have to be even. So, that means it has to be 8:42, 8:46, or 8:48.
8 + 4 + 2 = 14. That is your answer.
8 + 4 + 6 = 18 and 8 + 4 + 8 = 18 so they cannot be your answer.
Cupid starts shooting arrows at 8:42.

You should first make a chart with all the times and then add the digits in each time then go over all the numbers and see if there are any 14’s there. Then check the times.
8:33, 8:42, and 8:51 should be the only times whose digits equals 14, but 8:33 has odd numbers and two of the digits are the same and 8:51 has odd digits.
So 8:42 is the time the Cupid starts shooting arrows. 8:42 has no two digits the same and no odd numbers.

The time is 8:42.....8, 4, 2,are even, and they add up to 14. The time is also between 8:30 and 9:00.

The next time after 8:30am which contians all even digits is 8:40. The next even digit time which adds up to 14 is 8:42 (8 + 4 + 2). Cupid starts shooting his magic arrows at 8:42am.

The time was 8:42 A.M. Because 8 + 4 + 2 = 14, and the digits are even and all different.