Bracket #16 — the answers
The five questions from October 15, 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 square feet are in an acre? | 43,560 | 1,000 to 1M, logarithmic | 31,000 to 62,000 |
| 2 | How long is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, roughly? | 70 minutes | 10 to 200 | 60 to 80 |
| 3 | How big is Alaska? | 663,000 square miles | 50,000 to 3M, logarithmic | 540,000 to 810,000 |
| 4 | What do the whole numbers from 1 to 139 add up to? | 9,730 | 100 to 100,000, logarithmic | 6,900 to 14,000 |
| 5 | How many countries belong to the United Nations? | 193 | 50 to 400 | 175 to 210 |
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 square feet are in an acre? 43,560 — 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 31,000 to 62,000 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
- How long is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, roughly? 70 minutes — in the lower third of its track. A bracket from 60 to 80 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
- How big is Alaska? 663,000 square 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 540,000 to 810,000 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
- What do the whole numbers from 1 to 139 add up to? 9,730 — 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 6,900 to 14,000 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
- How many countries belong to the United Nations? 193 — near the middle of its track. A bracket from 175 to 210 is a tenth of the track and scores 90; the whole track scores 0.
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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.