Tricky Test 2 Level 80

Overview

• Difficulty: Hard
• Estimated moves: 2

The screen shows the number "508" built out of matchsticks (digits drawn in a seven-segment style). Below it is a text input field and a numeric keypad (digits 0–9, a delete button, and an enter button). The prompt reads "If you can now move 2 matches, what's the biggest possible number?" You are not physically rearranging matches on screen; you deduce the largest number achievable by moving two matchsticks, then type it in.

Step-by-Step Solution

1. Start from 508. The middle digit is 0.
2. Move two matches out of the middle 0 so that its left and right vertical sides remain, looking like two separate "1"s. This turns "5 0 8" into "5 1 1 8".
3. Take one of the two removed matches and place it as a new trailing "1" to the right of the 8.
4. The resulting number is 51181.
5. Type 51181 on the keypad and press enter/OK.

Strategy & Reasoning

The biggest number comes from maximizing digit count first: more digits means a larger number. By breaking the 0 into two vertical 1s and appending one more 1, the three-digit 508 becomes a five-digit number. 51181 is the largest valid number reachable by moving exactly two matchsticks: the 5 stays as 5, the 0 splits into two 1s, the 8 stays as 8, and a final 1 is added. Smaller answers like 5118 (only four digits) or 8118 leave digits on the table. Any arrangement that tries to make 5 digits without using exactly two moved matches fails the constraint.

The matchstick digits are drawn in a seven-segment style with wooden sticks and red tips. The keypad below mirrors a phone calculator: digits 7-8-9 on top, 4-5-6 in the middle, 1-2-3 on the bottom, with delete on the right and enter below. You type 51181 using the keypad and then press enter. The 5 and 8 remain unchanged; only the middle 0 is dismantled. The two horizontal matches removed from the 0 leave its left and right uprights as two 1s, and one removed match becomes the final trailing 1. This produces the five-digit maximum.

You do not actually drag matches on screen; you deduce the number and type it. The keypad accepts the digits 5, 1, 1, 8, 1 in order. Press enter to submit. The game confirms 51181 as the biggest possible number. Common near-misses are 5118 (four digits), 8118, or 6118, all of which are smaller than 51181. Remember: more digits always wins, so prioritize splitting the 0 into two 1s and appending a third 1.

Tips & Common Mistakes

• Answering 5118. That is only four digits and misses the trailing 1.
• Answering 8118 or other four-digit numbers. Five digits always beats four digits.
• Trying to make a 6-digit number. Moving only two matches cannot create three new digits.
• Forgetting to press enter. Type 51181 on the keypad and confirm with the enter button.