Count the Balls Optical Illusion

For the past few days, I’ve been posting up some optical illusions that are generally cool for everyone to look at. I did this, so I could give your brains a bit of a break, because I was posting a lot of brain teaser optical illusion. Well, I hope your brain got a good bit of rest, because today I have a new brain teaser that is going to put it to the test.

Below, I’m going to post up a new brain teaser optical illusion that’s extremely simple, but it’s very effective. It’s going to be your job to count the balls in the picture. Now, that sounds fairly simple, right? Well, you’ll be surprised when you find out that 95% of people get this wrong and there’s good reason for it. Are you ready to give it a shot? Scroll down and check it out.

How Many Balls Optical Illusion

So, how many balls did you count in the image above? I’d love it if you left your answer in the comments section below. It will be very interesting to see what everyone comes up with for this one. Also, can you tell me why so many people get this one wrong?

Do you want another optical illusion that’s very similar to this one? If so, you can go count these pencils.

323 Replies to “Count the Balls Optical Illusion”

  1. I am going to start with the obvious answer of 16, but after looking more closely, will qualify my count to 12. I won’t post any spoilers how I got that number.

  2. (You want my answer? I can COUNT 16 balls visible, but clearly there are 30 total if we assume this is a real figure and the balls are being held up by other balls with no surprises that we can’t see. So the only question is what sort of answer you are looking for.)

  3. 16 if you count the visual ones but if assuming its a stack of balls I would assume 30. Also after just looking at it I”m also going to say 18 counting the two dots at the bottom of the question marks.

  4. I mean, there are other possible answers, but there’s really no way of knowing. There could be any number greater than 16 if you assume this is a real object — there could be millions of tiny little balls inside, or none at all. Or there could be fewer than 16 if you don’t consider these balls. This is just a PICTURE, so there are no actual balls at all.

  5. Assuming that the balls are supported by other balls than there should be 30.

    16 on the first floor
    9 on the second
    4 on the third
    1 at the top

    Visually there are only 16

  6. According to my calculations there are 30 balls, the first level has 16 (4×4), the second level has 9 (3×3), the third level has 4 (2×2), and the highest level has 1. 16+9+4+1=30

  7. It’s ambiguous. 16 visible. But if you assume a four sided pyramid and this is a 3D representation, then there would be 30 balls present, but not all visible. And even though I would argue it does not look like a 3 side pyramid, for the sake of completeness, such a pyramid would have 20 balls.

    This is hard why?

    Have not a clue why people get it wrong….maybe because it is an ambiguous question?

  8. I count 16 showing but there is gotta be more holding them up you do not see so the total should be 30

  9. There is not enough information to know. Really, anything would be a guess based on an assumption.

    However, the word “of” (or maybe even more) is missing from the phrase at the bottom. I assume this is like the “count the red balls” one that was posted here a while back, where the guy has 12 fingers. Or the one with the hand with only 4 fingers. Too busy counting to realize that there’s something else wrong.

  10. Well the answer depends…
    I can see 16 balls directly

    If this is a triangular pyramid (each ball resting on 3 balls underneath), it will consist of 1+3+6+10=20 balls

    if the pyramid is square it should consist of 1+4+9+16=30 balls

    It’s really difficult to see if the pyramid is square or triangular in shape… but what’s the illution here exactly?

  11. 16 if you only count the two sides shown.

    37 if it is a triangle with the same amount of balls on each side.

    40 if its a triangle with more balls in the back than in the two sides showing.

    57 if it is a square.

  12. Well, I count 16 visible balls. But if this represents a 3-dimensional object, the question is: is this a square stack or a triangular stack? If it’s a triangular stack — though it doesn’t look like it from the perspective – it’s 10 + 6 + 3 + 1 = 20. If it’s a square stack, then there’s 16 + 9 + 4 + 1 = 30 balls. It looks like a square stack to me, since it would hard to imagine the second row from the bottom being only 3 balls across in the back row.

  13. The answer is 30 (16 on the base tier 1, 9 on tier 2, 4 on tier 3, and 1 on tier 4).

    On other sites where this has been posted, some have suggested the shape of the base is triangular rather than square. This is impossible given the size of the balls. Even allowing for poor perspective drawing, the spacing would be all off as is exampled by examining the base.

  14. ONE MUST FIRST LOOK AT THE STACK OF BALLS AS A 3D PERSPECTIVE IMAGE.

    The number of balls depends upon how you look at the picture.

    If the question was how many balls do you see in this picture? Then, the answer would be 16 balls.

    If you take in the 3D perspective view of the balls, and add in the additional unseen balls, which would be required, in order to stack all of the balls on top of each other, in order to hold the pyramid/triangular shape of the stack of balls, in a real life model of the stack, the answer would then be 19 balls.

    This is due to the fact that you would need 2 more balls, in the back of the 1st layer of balls, in order to support the second layer. Then the 2nd layer would need 1 more ball, in the middle of the back of the layer, in order to be able to support the third layer. The 3rd layer needs no additional balls to hold up the 4th layer, which is 1 single ball.

    Therefore, we visually see 16 balls, add in the 2 balls for the first/base/bottom layer, add in one more ball for the 2nd layer.

    The math then becomes 16 balls + 2 balls + 1ball = 19 balls in TOTAL.

    or

    16 Balls are seen visually.
    +2 More balls are in back of 1st layer.
    +1 More ball is in back of 2nd layer.
    ___________________________________________________
    =19 BALLS TOTAL when all numbers are added together!

  15. It appears to be a pyramid having a square base and four triangular sides. If so, it has layers of 16, 9, 4 and 1 balls, or 30 total. But if the picture is distorted and it represents a tetrahedron with triangular base and 3 triangular sides, it has layers of 10, 6, 3, and 1 balls, or 20 total.

  16. I can see 16 balls, but if they are arranged as a tetrahedron, there would be 20, but the shape resembles a square pyramid that would have 30 balls in it. Is that the puzzle?

  17. Why do you always say to go to this page to find out the answer? There is no answer to how many balls are here. How do I know if I am right or not.

  18. counted either:
    – 16 = 4 fully visible + 12 non fully visible
    – 30 = 4×4 + 3×3 + 2×2 + 1×1 when suposing that it’s a pile of 4 horizontal squares of balls and including the hidden ones

    where is the illusion ? i almost always see them but not here.

  19. I count 17 that I can see, including the word “Ball”.

    There’s another 9 that are presumably part of the pyramid that I can’t see.

  20. Some possible answers: there are 16 visible balls on the pyramid, and other 14 ones not visible necessary to get it standing.

    Additionally there are 2 more balls bouncing under the questions marks on the top of the image.

    I don’t know which would be the right answer, but it might be 16, 18, 30 or 32, depending on the criteria used.

  21. Zero. It’s a 2d picture and they’re all circles, of which only 4 are visible.

    If I’m to assume it’s a representation of a 3d structure, then it’s still indeterminate since you would have to make assumptions about whether the balls were glued together or if they were merely supported by unseen balls within the structure, or if from this angle there are balls that are not part of the pyramid itself, or whether all the balls are of the same size.

  22. I count 16 on the bottom, 9 on the 2nd from bottom, 4 on the 2nd from top and 1 on the top for a total of 30

  23. There are (at least) three answers:

    a. 16 – number of visible balls

    b. 20 – assuming a three-sided pyramid

    c. 30 – assuming a four-sided pyramid

  24. 17 are seen
    38 are needed for the outside of the figure
    42 are needed for the full figured assuming it has 4 sides.

  25. I’LL BITE. 16 IN THE PICTURE BUT 33 IN THE PYRAMID? RIGHT? WRONG? SOMBODY “H E L P” ME. please…….

  26. Saw this picture on my Facebook feed, but didn’t want to look into the thousands of comments. I would say it’s 30. Why are there so many people who will get this wrong? Am i one of them?

  27. I can see 16. That’s the obvious answer, so that can’t be right. There are 4 more in the pyramid that you can’t see, so 20 would be another guess. René Magritte would say zero. But I think the answer 95% fail to arrive at is 18 – because there are 2 “balls” in the question marks.

  28. I count 16 balls. I suspect a lot of people might count the central vertical column of balls twice (2 x 4 for the bottom layer, 2 x 3 for the next layer up, etc). This would lead to an incorrect count of 19. It’s a bit hard to believe that 95% of people get it wrong though. Unless 16 is wrong; then I would believe that :-)

    1. LOL! Please don’t have a family feud. It’s just an illusion, which should bring you happiness.

  29. OK, there are 16 _visible_, but presuming that the full pyramid-like pile is there then there are 30. 16 + 9 + 4 + 1 = 30. That distinction appears, anyway, to be what the puzzler is supposed to be.

  30. The illusion reads “%95 People will get this wrong” . Maybe It should read %100 because I searched for a very long time, and it seems there is nowhere to access an answer so you’re left up in space whether or not you’re right or wrong!

  31. THIS IS THE CORRECTED ANSWER, THAT I PREVIOUSLY SENT.

    ONE MUST FIRST LOOK AT THE STACK OF BALLS AS A 3D PERSPECTIVE IMAGE.

    The total number of balls depends upon how you look at the picture.

    If the question was how many balls do you see in this picture? Then, the answer would be 16 balls.

    If you take in the 3D perspective view of the balls, and add in the additional unseen balls, which would be required, in order to stack all of the balls on top of each other, in order to hold the pyramid/triangular shape of the stack of balls, in a real life model of the stack, the answer would then be 20 balls.

    This is due to the fact that you would need 2 more balls, in the back of the 1st layer of balls, and 1 more ball in the center of the first layer, in order to support the second layer. Then the 2nd layer would need 1 more ball, in the middle of the back of the layer, in order to be able to support the 3rd layer. The 3rd layer needs no additional balls to hold up the 4th layer, which is 1 single ball.

    Therefore, we visually see 16 balls, add in the 2 balls for the first/base/bottom layer, add 1 more ball in from center of bottom/1st layer, add in 1 more ball for the 2nd layer.

    The math then becomes 16 balls + 2 balls + 1ball +1 ball = 20 balls in TOTAL.

    or

    16 Balls are seen visually.
    +2 More balls in back of 1st layer.
    +1 More ball in the 1st layer’s center.
    +1 More ball is in back of 2nd layer.
    ___________________________________________________
    =20 BALLS TOTAL when all numbers are added together!

  32. ANOTHER 3D PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE BALL TOWER.

    20 Balls if the base is a triangle.
    30 Balls if the base is a square.

    Looking at the picture more closely, it appears to be a square due to the width between the 2 end balls on the base layer.

    It could go either way.

  33. 16. Even if it won’t stand up the only real explanation is “at least 16” because you don’t know if it’s a pyramid or a tetrahedron or if the guy just super glued them together :) thanks for the great brainteaser :)

  34. 16 When you simply count. People will count one side and multiply by 2 and will come to 20 then.

    If you have to count the hidden balls then it depends on if it is a pyramid with a square base or a pyramid with a triangular base (tetrahedron).

    If square base then 1^2 + 2^2 + 3^2 + 4^2 = 1+4+9+16 = 30

    It triangular base then 10+6+3+1 = 20

  35. So there is 16 balls on bottom 12 balls in the next row and 3 than 1 for a total of 32. When u say count the balls most people assume your talking about the picture. Some don’t see the picture as 3 dimensional and that’s why they come up with a different number which is 16. I think????

  36. 30 is the first count, but that is probably wrong. After a few minutes i think it’s a triangle base, not square. Then I count 23.

  37. I count 20. I think people get it wrong because they think the base is a square, which I initially thought as well, but after a second look I noticed the base is actually triangular.
    I’m guessing the people who get it wrong say 30.

  38. I count 16, the question is not how many balls you think are there just count how many ARE there. Too many will say the bottom is 4×4 but then you count the corner twice. Same goes with each subsequent level.

  39. How many balls? I can SEE 16 balls. In reality, it would take 30 balls to construct this. How? The lowest level is a 4 x 4 grid (16) the second level is a 3 x 3 grid (9) the third level is a 2 x 2 grid (4) and one on top. 16 + 9 + 4 + 1 = 30. People may get this wrong if they try to visually count the balls and count the back corner balls twice.

  40. There are two faces of a pyramid showing with 16 balls.
    If the pyramid has 3 faces (base is an equilateral triangle), then the pyramid has 12+7+3+1 = 23 balls in it, if there are interior balls; 9+6+3+1 = 19 if there are no interior balls.
    If the pyramid has 4 faces (base is a square), then it has 16+9+4+1 = 30 balls in it, if there are interior balls; 12+8+4+1 = 25 if there are no interior balls.
    I would lean towards it having 4 faces, because of how far apart the bottom balls on the far right & far left appear, but you can’t really tell for sure, and you can’t, of course, tell whether or not there are interior balls present.

  41. Pyramid with square base: 30
    (4²+3²+2²+1²)

    Pyramid with triangular base: 20
    (4+3+2+1 + 3+2+1 + 2+1 + 1)

    Just visible: 16
    (7+5+3+1)

    Just visible full balls: 4

    Balls? On a 2D-picture?: 0

  42. So how many is the right answer? I’ve counted every which way I can think of, and I keep getting the same answer

    1. That’s the answer a lot of people are giving. How did you come up with that #?

  43. 16?
    I guess the middle ball is being counted twice as the reason for the mistake since that was originally what I did. That’s just my hunch though.

  44. sixteen, as often as I count them, there are sixteen balls.
    O.K. the thing with the pencils is anoter question, but the balls are 16 !
    Please don´t let us die as silly ones and tell us, how many balls there are.

    Thank you.

  45. So, do you want the number of balls actually rendered, or the number in the object that’s been depicted.
    The latter is 30 (16 + 9 + 4 + 1) Ie, there are 16 balls on the bottom layer (4×4), 9 on the next layer (3×3), and so on.

    Unless it’s a triangle (rather than square) base pyramid in which case the perspective is all wrong.

  46. Maybe the trick is that they are not balls.

    The pink one near the top and the red one in the bottom right corner look like they might be a fruit like an apple or a peach.

    What is that black speck between the top pink ball and the red one below it? A stem?

    Maybe it’s some balls and some peaches and it asked us to count the balls.

  47. Even if the answer is 0 (2d picture), 4 (full circles) 16 (visible), 20 (triangular base in 3D) or 30 (square base in 3D), we should add 1 more due to the text “BALLS”. It should be counted too.

  48. I’m a 100% people and the question is too ambiguous. so all answers are correct according to each perspective.

  49. If the two question Marks don’t count there are 20 balls in the object as it is a triangular pyramid. One ball rests on 3 balls, which rest on 6, which rest on 10 = 20 !

  50. If your desperate to know a link to the answer is in description on this clip. Don’t post on here as it may spoil the fun.

  51. Hello James Dean,

    Ok, now we understood that some of us think it’s 16 or 20 or 30 or whatever… But at the end, what is exactly the illusion? Is it even an illusion or just a “statement” trick?

    I confess I am a bit disappointed by this kind of post. Well, not bad in itself, but 3 days to turn around is maybe a bit too much… I don’t see in it the enigma of the century!

    M.

  52. Well, I think it could be four as the rest are pictured as more crescent moon like. Or alternatively, there are no balls as this is a two dimentional representation showing circles and not balls. Huh? Huh?

  53. The answer is obviously 0.
    This is a 2-D image. These “balls” are not balls at all, only circles. So how many balls? Zero.

  54. I believe each layer is an equilateral triangle making the total balls in the tetrahedron be 20 (10+6+3+1). The common mistake would be thinking each layer is a square (16+9+4+1 = 30)

  55. One. The word “balls”. Everything else is a two dimensional flat drawing, so technically there is only one “balls”……. Somebody had to say it, might as well be me. You’re welcome! (laughs hysterically for no apparent reason) ;)

  56. That’s why almost everybody misses it. Circular shapes are arranged in triangles (basic geometry) therefore:
    10 balls at the bottom
    6 balls at the first level
    3 balls at the second
    1 ball at the top.
    Total: 20 balls.
    (piece of cake)

  57. I say 4. If you look at it as a flat 2-D drawing the 4 down the front are drawn as a circle/ball. So the others are not balls…so to speak. Does this make any sense to any of the regulars here?

  58. On 2nd thought, the correct answer is an indeterminate number between 16 and infinity. At a minimum, the 16 visible balls; or there could be a windrow of balls lined up out of sight behind the visible balls from here to infinity. No particular geometry can be assumed.

  59. YOU POSTED MY WRONG ANSWER!

    ONE MUST FIRST LOOK AT THE STACK OF BALLS AS A 3D PERSPECTIVE IMAGE.

    The total number of balls depends upon how you look at the picture.

    If the question was how many balls do you see in this picture? Then, the answer would be 16 balls.

    If you take in the 3D perspective view of the balls, and add in the additional unseen balls, which would be required, in order to stack all of the balls on top of each other, in order to hold the pyramid/triangular shape of the stack of balls, in a real life model of the stack, the answer would then be 20 balls.

    This is due to the fact that you would need 2 more balls, in the back of the 1st layer of balls, and 1 more ball in the center of the first layer, in order to support the second layer. Then the 2nd layer would need 1 more ball, in the middle of the back of the layer, in order to be able to support the 3rd layer. The 3rd layer needs no additional balls to hold up the 4th layer, which is 1 single ball.

    Therefore, we visually see 16 balls, add in the 2 balls for the first/base/bottom layer, add 1 more ball in from center of bottom/1st layer, add in 1 more ball for the 2nd layer.

    The math then becomes 16 balls + 2 balls + 1ball +1 ball = 20 balls in TOTAL.

    or

    16 Balls are seen visually.
    +2 More balls in back of 1st layer.
    +1 More ball in the 1st layer’s center.
    +1 More ball is in back of 2nd layer.
    ___________________________________________________
    =20 BALLS TOTAL when all numbers are added together!

    ANOTHER 3D PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE BALL TOWER.
    20 Balls if the base is a triangle.
30 Balls if the base is a square.
    Looking at the picture more closely, it appears to be a square due to the width between the 2 end balls on the base layer.
    It could go either way.

    IF THIS IS A TRICK QUESTION, THE ANSWER IS ONLY 1 Balls, BEING THE WORD Balls ITSELF!

    This type of question can hardly be considered fair, as the question itself is far to vaguely worded!

  60. Nobody seems to be pointing out that the balls on the edges of the second layer (blue on the left, green on the right) don’t actually form balls. They should curve down and leave a little dark space between them and the ball above/next to them, but their color takes up the entire gap.

    Therefore, I see 14 balls and given that those two aren’t actually balls, I’m going to assume there aren’t any real balls hidden behind.

  61. I would have gone with the 16 or 30 plus the word balls…making it 17 or 31, then there was the “aren’t actually balls” statement, which brought it back down to one …the word balls…and now…I no longer care…it’s all an assumption based on observation…the creater is no more or less correct than any observer…individual reality…

  62. If by balls, you mean circular figures, then it is 4 balls. If you want spherical figures then we have zero as in a 2-D figure, we can only speculate.

  63. It could also be 4. The first 4 balls, in the straight up and down vertical column. As, all of the other shapes are obscured by the shapes in front of them, thus making them incomplete.

    Add the word Balls, from How Many Balls?,at the top of the illustration, to the 4 full round shapes, in the front vertical column, and you get 5 balls!

    The answer could also, be none! As others have stated, the obvious, and that is that the drawing is a flat 2 Dimensional object!

    As I stated earlier, the details in the puzzle wording, are far too few, or vaguely worded, to give a single simple answer, to the question, “How Many Balls??

    MY FINAL SUGGESTION IS! IF YOUR GOING TO POST SO-CALLED PUZZLES SUCH AS, OR SIMILAR TO THIS ONE, BE A GREAT DEAL MORE CLEAR, REGARDING WHAT YOU ARE ASKING OTHERS TO FIGURE OUT!

    OTHERWISE, YOUR JUST WASTING EVERYONE ELSE’S TIME.

  64. THERE ARE NO BALLS AT ALL! AS IT IS A COMPOSITION OF SHAPES, LINES, SOLID COLOURS, BLENDED COLOURS SHADING, & TEXT, AND THAT’S IT!

    (IT’S A DRAWING! A 2D IMAGE! ACTUALLY, IT’S NOT EVEN THAT, ON MY COMPUTER SCREEN, IT’S A COMPILATION OF ARRANGED COLOURED PIXELS, LIGHT & ELECTRICITY! IT’S THE VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF A COMPUTER LANGUAGE, BROUGHT TO LIFE WITH ELECTRICAL CURRENT!)

    THERE ARE NO REAL BALLS, WHATSOEVER! YOU CAN’T TOUCH ANY OF THEM!

  65. None, 0.
    I see circles and parts of other circles. I have no knowledge about the third dimension of the image. I have the illusion that they are 3D balls but answering the question I say that in this 2D image, I see no balls.

  66. ZERO, a ball is a sphere; a round geometrical and circular object in three-dimensional space

    Ergo, no ball can exist on a 2d paper

    However, if we should define a ball as a circular object also on a 2d surface, the stacked objects only give us 4, but then we should include the dots under the question marks, the spaces within the As and Os, and the Os themselves etc. and in such case we get 20.

    My answer is:
    Precisely 0
    Abstractly 20

  67. … Or, the answer is 1, as “Balls” is a written word and associated to a 3d object… but the words itself is there Once

    So I see all of these as correct.
    Precisely 0
    Abstractly 20
    Literally Smartassly 1

  68. I actually think you are missing the point. Keep in mind this is a spoiler.

    Look at the question marks. The dot below them could count as a ball, right? Just my silly guess though.

  69. The best way to see the answer is imagine the side as the bottom, flipping the image in your mind to grasp how many sides. Doing this you can ascertain the bottom layer contains ten balls and since every side must be the same as the actual base, that right side (or left, they are equal) is how you define the shape of the pyramid. The next layer has 7 balls because the shape of the sides must follow the same pattern as the base, with only one ball in the middle and this holds true for every layer. Thus, 10 in the base, 7 next layer up, then 4, and 1 on top….totalling 21.

    21 is the absolute and only possible answer! It’s a Mensa question that’s very similar.

  70. An explanation of the “Illusion” is simple if you read this. Take either side and look closely at the arrangement. There are only ten balls on either side, meaning the assumed patterns of the base or bottom layer as simple math 4*4 or 4*3 is wrong! Every layer has only one ball in the middle and by looking at the right or left side independently you will see only one ball in the center, and the bottom layer not visible follows the same pattern.

    The trick is making it look like the shape is wrong by stretching the sides on the base layer, but the pyramid must be equal on all sides. So the base or bottom is the same as the visible sides, left or right with one ball on each of three corners, two in between the corners (adds six more), and one in the center, totalling ten.

    Simply solve by imagining the right or left side as the bottom layer that is not visible and count, despite how weird it appears. That’s the point, it like weird on purpose to get you thinking the sides are not the same as the bottom, but they are! ;-)

  71. 21. It’s 21

    Not even one other person guessed the correct amount. Answer is 21 and trust me sagacity is a word. Look it up and then ask Mensa the answer to this question cuz they use something just like it to get into their super smart organization.

  72. Imagine it this way: The red ball in the center on the bottom row is the top of the stack, so rotate the entire stack with that one going to the top. It’s a 3 sided pyramid, right? Then count down, 1 on top, 3 next, 7 next, 10 on bottom.

    Also, the sides show you how to count and how the balls are stacked. Either side has only ten balls, with only one in center. The other sides are the same, including the bottom row, so that’s ten in the base layer for sure if you think about it being symmetrical despite the fact it looks way off…Hell, that’s the Illusion!

  73. last line 12 out side & 4 inside 12+4=16
    then 8 out side & 1 inside 8+1=9
    then 4 =4
    and hen =1
    now total 16+9+4+1=30

  74. It is most probably a 4 side triangular base pyramid. So there is 20 balls.
    Base: 10
    2nd: 6
    3rd: 3
    And Top:1

    1. If its 4 sided then the base is 4×4 or 16 then 3×3 or 9 then 2×2 or 4 plus the one on the top for a total of 30… but if its a equilateral triangle, three sides then the answer is 20

  75. or there is only 1 balls because that is the question how many balls?? not how many balls are there trick question??

  76. The answer is dependant on the question, and your lateral thinking interpretaion,so no answer can be right in theory

    if how many balls do you see? if it were a 3D interpritation the answer would be 30 if it were a Square pyramid 25 if a triangular pyramid ( you have to account for the balls you cant see that allow the pyramids to be formed.

    BUT

    this is a drawing in 2d perspective.. therefore the are NO balls… only 4 CIRCLES running down the centre of the picture… the rest are partial circles

  77. Maybe 1 ball on top, I can’t decide on the top but when I really look at the shading I see Easter eggs. Are you ever going to let us know the answer? My head hurts studying that picture.

  78. Well I can see 4 actaul balls down the center; however if there is an asumption that these are all balls in the picture, you could say 16 as a flat 1D image; or 30 as a 3d image, but My final answer is 4.

  79. 17 balls with the little small black ball underneath the upper pink ball ;-) i am on the 5% group

    1. Yes but the inference of the question is also a statement saying they represent balls.

  80. The answer is 30 to INFINITY. Hear me out. Assuming this is a real world problem and the balls in this image are structurally sound, meaning they’re free-standing with enough frictional force between them I keep them from toppling over, 30 is the only possible solution. Every ball has a purpose – to support the balls above it. Take any one of them out, and the whole thing will topple over. Negating physics, any one ball could be missing, meaning the answer could be any number between 16 and 30. But then again, who’s to say that nothing is behind the pyramid? There could be a long line of balls sitting directly behind this structure, and stretching to infinity, meaning the answer could now be anywhere from 30 to infinity (assuming this is a real world problem and physics are at play). Conclusion: I can only say for certain that there are at least 30 balls in this image, however there could be up to infinity.

    1. Nope I don’t assume there are balls in the middle, it could be a big hunk of clay shaped as a pyramid….

  81. It clearly says ‘how many can you see’??

    It doesn’t matter how many are behind, because you can’t see them.

    My answer is 16

    1. Where does it say “so clearly” how many balls can YOU SEE?
      It only says “How many balls?”, there’s no “can you see”… or, if you read the post (not the text in the image) it says “count the balls”

  82. Being that it’s an optical illusion I say the answer is 4. However it is wrongly phrased. It should be ‘how many circles’

    When looking at the picture, there are only 4 round circles (balls). The rest are all moon shapes. the 3d answer is 30 but that’s not tricky and definitely more than a 5% correct answer. ;)

  83. The definition of ball is as follows-

    A solid or hollow sphere or ovoid.

    In other words a ball is a three dimensional object. These objects are drawn on a two dimensional surface making them overlapping circles (regardless of the shading that makes the appear 3 dimensional (this is called an optical illusion))

    Thus the answer is 0. There are no actual “balls” in this drawing.

  84. …..18………. Well first thing it’s an illusion count 3d objects on 2d surface…technically there are no balls. But beyond that the pyramid give the thoughts that there are 30 balls!, if what’s behind the front balls are more ball! Or are they squares holding up the front one.. Hmm could be any number. W that logic. So the only real choose is 18. Y u ask well for the people who see the front 16 objects ( with a bad scratchy picture mind u). They are all to focused on counting just those and not the picture as a whole… Let’s exclude the wide imaginations of Apples or oranges cause that’s one bad pic if u want us to see that.
    Or the fact one circle was colored out of the lines …

  85. Answers can be anywhere from “zero” (they are not ball but other objects or it is a painting) all the way to “infinity” because you do not know what is behind the scenes.

  86. I see a bunch of circles drawn to look like balls, there are techniques to make 2d objects seem as if they are 3D the whole thing is flat…those are circles, not spheres

  87. 25
    all the ones you see.and the same amount on the other side except the border line balls on the side and very top one .

  88. 25
    all the ones you see.and the same amount on the other side except the border line balls on the side and very top one .

  89. 4 because you can only see 4 full balls all the rest are blocked off and are half or or fourths there are only the four full balls

  90. How many people here have been leap frogging around trying to find the answer of two? There’s two green balls as the question suggest. Simplicity in a mad, mad world.

  91. If you look at the picture as you see it then, on face value, the
    number is 16.

    If you draw the bottom row as 3 dimensional you will have
    12 balls (not 16 like some would think since it is 4 balls per side –
    corner balls do for 2 sides), middle row is 8 and top row 4 with one
    last one on top making it an uneven number of 25 not 20.

  92. I count 18 balls. Those are the ones that are actually visible. I don’t know if there’s a way to correctly calculate how many invisible balls there are. So what’s the answer?

  93. I’m going to say they are not balls, but they are balloons. So since they are not balls. My answer is zero balls in the picture! I need to know the answer, bc everyone is giving different numbers, and I’m the only one on my friends post that is stating my answer above. Please let us know what the answer is suppose to be please!! :)

  94. the answer is 1, the word balls. we shouldn’t assume that the colored circles are balls, they could just be colored circles. i win.

  95. Knowing it’s an optical illusion makes it extremely difficult to figure out, therefore, I propose 3 answers. If it’s all balls on screen, assuming they are balls, it’s 16. If the structure is tetrahedral, it would be 19. If it’s just which of the balls I see, then 4, as the rest are blocked from view.

    I would REALLY appreciate an answer, though.

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