To solve this puzzle, begin by examining the circular end of the wooden log. Notice how the marked lines divide its cross-section into smaller areas. These cuts don’t simply shorten the log. Instead, they divide the wood into sections that extend along its length. Understanding this distinction is important because a single cut can affect several pieces simultaneously.

Next, examine the marks that divide the log into shorter sections. Imagine Mike completing the cuts carefully, following each line exactly as illustrated. Rather than counting the cuts themselves, consider the separate blocks of wood created by their intersections. This is where many people make mistakes: they assume the number of cuts is nearly the same as the number of resulting pieces.

A useful approach is to solve the problem in two stages. First, determine how many sections are formed across the circular face. Then identify how many shorter lengths are produced by the remaining cuts. Multiplying these two quantities gives the total number of individual pieces, provided the cuts extend completely through the wood as intended.

Now for the answer. According to the original puzzle, Mike will end up with 12 pieces of wood.

The intended solution comes from combining the divisions created in different directions rather than simply adding the number of marked lines. That’s why answers such as 6, 8, and 16 can seem reasonable at first but don’t match the published solution.

The correct answer is 12 pieces. This little woodworking puzzle demonstrates why spatial reasoning matters. Sometimes the best way to solve a problem isn’t to count what you see immediately, but to imagine how each action changes the final result.