Bracket #1 — the answers
The five questions from September 30, 2026, with their answers, the track each ran on, and the bracket that would have scored 90 on it.
The answers
| # | Question | Answer | Track | A tenth of it, on the answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How many chromosomes are in a human cell? | 46 | 10 to 200 | 36 to 56 |
| 2 | How many counties and county equivalents does the United States have? | 3,143 | 500 to 10,000 | 2,650 to 3,600 |
| 3 | How long is the Tour de France, roughly? | 2,100 miles | 200 to 20,000, logarithmic | 1,700 to 2,600 |
| 4 | A car averages 39 miles per hour for 2.5 hours. How far does it go? | 97.5 miles | 10 to 1,000, logarithmic | 77 to 120 |
| 5 | How tall does a giraffe stand, at the tallest? | 18 feet | 5 to 40 | 16.2 to 19.8 |
Question by question
A question scores 100 minus the bracket’s width as a percentage of the track, if the answer is inside it, and nothing if it is outside. The tenth-of-the-track bracket below is the one a confident player was aiming for.
- How many chromosomes are in a human cell? 46 — in the lower third of its track. A bracket from 36 to 56 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
- How many counties and county equivalents does the United States have? 3,143 — in the lower third of its track. A bracket from 2,650 to 3,600 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
- How long is the Tour de France, roughly? 2,100 miles — near the middle of its track (a logarithmic track, so a tenth of it is a tenth of the powers of ten it spans). A bracket from 1,700 to 2,600 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
- A car averages 39 miles per hour for 2.5 hours. How far does it go? 97.5 miles — near the middle of its track (a logarithmic track, so a tenth of it is a tenth of the powers of ten it spans). A bracket from 77 to 120 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
- How tall does a giraffe stand, at the tallest? 18 feet — near the middle of its track. A bracket from 16.2 to 19.8 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
About Bracket
Bracket is Noggin’s estimation puzzle, on the second shelf: five questions a day with a number for an answer, bracketed rather than named, outside the daily line-up. How to play Bracket, or play today’s.