[MentalDeveloper]

One puzzle that has always captivated me is this:

How many different shapes can be made from five identical squares such that each square touches at least one other square on at least one side?

If the shape of five squares is turned or flipped, it must differ from the other shapes containing five squares.

As the side of one square touches another square's side, it must be in full ... the side of one is adjacent to the side of another, not just touching in part.

The most obvious shape is a rectangle of five squares placed side-by-side. This shape is the same shape when displayed vertically, horizontally, or diagonally as a unit of five squares.

Once you correctly find the total number of different shapes, there is another puzzle that follows.

[AdamSpeight2008]

12

This post has been edited by AdamSpeight2008: 26 January 2009 - 11:38 PM

[MentalDeveloper]

Yes, there are 12 different shapes that can be made.
The next step is to form a rectangle using only one instance of each of the twelve shapes.

This might be a great drag-n-drop program.

You were successful very quickly. Did you already know the answer?