A jigsaw puzzle has 2 pieces. One of the pieces is shown above. Which one of…
2021
A jigsaw puzzle has 2 pieces. One of the pieces is shown above. Which one of the given options for the missing piece when assembled will form a rectangle? The piece can be moved, rotated or flipped to assemble with the above piece.
Attempted by 94 students.
Show answer & explanation
Key idea: find the piece that is the mirror (flipped) complement of the given piece so all notches and protrusions pair up and the outer edges become straight.
Step 1: Flip the matching piece horizontally so its protrusions face the notches of the given piece.
Step 2: Align the top edges first, then slide the piece down so each protrusion lines up with a corresponding notch.
Step 3: Verify every notch is filled without overlap or gap. When all match, the combined outer boundary is a rectangle.
Why the correct piece works:
Each protrusion on the correct piece exactly matches the position and depth of a notch on the given piece, so they pair without gaps.
After flipping and aligning, the left and right outer edges become straight and the top and bottom edges remain aligned, forming a rectangle.
Why the other pieces fail (brief):
Some pieces have protrusions at the wrong heights or with incorrect depths, so they leave gaps or cause overlaps when paired.
Others have the sequence of notches/protrusions in a different order; even if sizes look similar, wrong ordering prevents a continuous straight edge.
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