Spectrum #48: Order these dairy products by fat content — the solution
The Spectrum puzzle from October 1, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, least to most, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.
The puzzle
Order these dairy products by fat content, least at the top and most at the bottom. The board opened in this order:
- Heavy cream
- Half-and-half
- Whole milk
- Butter
- 2% milk
- 1% milk
Whole milk was already in place; 1% milk opened 5 places from home.
The walkthrough
The ends first. 1% milk is the least of the six at 1% and Butter the most at 80%. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.
Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between Heavy cream (36%) and Butter (80%) — 44% apart. Everything above that line belongs on the least side and everything below it on the most side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.
The closest call. 1% milk (1%) and 2% milk (2%) are only 1% apart — the pair that is a coin flip without the figures, and the place to spend a check: a check locks whatever is already right and leaves only the wrong tiles to swap.
The answer
| # | Least to Most | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1% milk | 1% |
| 2 | 2% milk | 2% |
| 3 | Whole milk | 3.25% |
| 4 | Half-and-half | 12% |
| 5 | Heavy cream | 36% |
| 6 | Butter | 80% |
Previous: Spectrum #47 (Wed, Sep 30)
About Spectrum
Spectrum is Noggin’s daily ordering puzzle: six things, one hidden scale, three checks. Tiles in the right place lock green; the figures turn over when the board is done. How to play Spectrum, or play today’s.