If you throw the dice and 7 is showing on the top, what is facing down?
(a) 7
(b) snake eyes
(c) boxcars
(d) little Joes
(e) 11
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is: (e) 11.
Explanation:
In order to understand why 11 is the correct answer, it’s important to know how a standard die (singular of dice) works and how the faces are numbered. A standard die is a cube with six faces, and the sum of the numbers on opposite faces always equals 7. This is a fundamental characteristic of a standard die. Here’s how the pairs of opposite faces on a standard die are numbered:
- Opposite face of 1: 6
- Opposite face of 2: 5
- Opposite face of 3: 4
Thus, the sum of the numbers on any two opposite faces will always be 7. So, when a 7 is showing on the top of the die, the number on the opposite face, which is facing down, must be the number that, when added to 7, results in 7. Therefore, 7 on the top means that the opposite face must show 11.
Now, let’s break down the other options:
- (a) 7: The number 7 cannot be on the opposite face because opposite faces on a standard die always sum to 7, so it’s impossible to have 7 on both the top and the bottom.
- (b) Snake eyes: “Snake eyes” refers to a roll of two 1s on two dice, not related to a single die and not a possible face when you have a 7 showing.
- (c) Boxcars: “Boxcars” refers to a roll of two 6s on two dice, which isn’t related to a single die showing 7 on the top.
- (d) Little Joes: “Little Joes” isn’t a common dice term and doesn’t relate to the problem either.
Thus, the correct choice is 11, as it is the number facing down when 7 is showing on the top of a standard die.