Spectrum #73: Order these by the speed of sound through them — the solution
The Spectrum puzzle from October 26, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, slowest to fastest, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.
The puzzle
Order these by the speed of sound through them, slowest at the top and fastest at the bottom. The board opened in this order:
- Water
- Diamond
- Steel
- Helium
- Air
- Aluminum
Nothing was in its place; Diamond opened 4 places from home.
The walkthrough
The ends first. Air is the slowest of the six at 767 mph and Diamond the fastest at 26,800 mph. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.
Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between Aluminum (14,360 mph) and Diamond (26,800 mph) — 12,440 mph apart. Everything above that line belongs on the slowest side and everything below it on the fastest side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.
The closest call. Steel (13,330 mph) and Aluminum (14,360 mph) are only 1,030 mph 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
| # | Slowest to Fastest | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air | 767 mph |
| 2 | Helium | 2,250 mph |
| 3 | Water | 3,315 mph |
| 4 | Steel | 13,330 mph |
| 5 | Aluminum | 14,360 mph |
| 6 | Diamond | 26,800 mph |
Previous: Spectrum #72 (Sun, Oct 25) · Next: Spectrum #74 (Tue, Oct 27) · All Spectrum solutions
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.