Understanding Rope Cuts: Sailor Sam vs. Pirate Pete

Jan 03, 2026

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Sailor Sam and Pirate Pete each start with a 500-foot rope but have different cutting needs. While Sam, with his straight piece of rope, can make four cuts to create five 100-foot lengths, Pete, who has a circular rope, requires an extra cut to achieve the same result. This fun puzzle highlights how the shape of the rope affects the number of cuts needed to divide it into equal pieces. Can you figure out the difference in their cutting methods?

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Understanding Rope Cuts: Sailor Sam vs. Pirate Pete

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Bell ringer #77 Sailor Sam and Pirate Pete each have a 500 ft long rope. Each cut their rope into 100 ft. lengths for use on their boat. I needed four separate cuts to chop up those ropes,” said Sam. “That’s strange, me hearty, I needed five cuts,” said a puzzled Pirate Pete. Can you explain the difference?
Answer • Sailor Sam had a straight piece of 500 ft rope. Pirate Pete had a circular piece of 500 ft rope so he needed one more cut to get five pieces.