Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/197 - Economical Dissection/Solution

by : $197$

 * Economical Dissection

Solution

 * Even though the volume of the block is enough to make $25$ pieces, you can in fact make only $24$.
 * Reduce the length of the block by half a unit.
 * The smaller piece off the end cannot be used.
 * Then cut the larger piece into $3$ slabs, each $1 \tfrac 1 4$ units thick.
 * Eight blocks can then be cut from each slab.