Climbing Problem of Creepers

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 02:14 AM PDT

Another puzzle for you guys. I know there are lot of puzzle enthusiasts out there.

This is an interesting puzzle related to understanding of circular motion. You can solve the puzzle by logic or having some basic mathematical understanding of circular motion. Try it out!

Puzzle

Two creepers, one jasmine and the other rose, are both climbing up and round a cylindrical tree trunk. The jasmine twists clockwise and the rose anti-clockwise, and they both start at the same point on the ground. Before they reach the first branch on the tree the jasmine has made 5 complete twists and the rose 3 twists.

Not counting the bottom and the top, how many times do they cross?