# What is black when you buy it, red when you use it and gray when you throw it away?

Source: https://silverapuzzles.com/riddles/what-is-black-when-you-buy-it-red-when-you-use-it-and-gray-when-you

A color-sequence riddle that follows one thing through its life: in the store, in use, and in the trash. Each color is a stage.

**Answer:** Charcoal.

Charcoal is black, glows red while it burns and turns to gray ash.

Hint: Think barbecue.

## How to think about it

1. Three colors in order mean three stages of the same object. Ask what is sold black.
2. Then ask what turns red while you use it. Red suggests heat or glowing.
3. Gray at the end suggests ash or dust left behind.
4. Charcoal is sold black, glows red on the grill and ends as gray ash.

## Why “Charcoal” is the answer

Charcoal briquettes are black in the bag, glow red-orange as they burn and leave gray ash when the cooking is done. The riddle walks you through a barbecue in three colors. Firewood follows a similar path, but wood is brown when you buy it, which is why charcoal is the better fit.

## Common wrong answers

- **Firewood.** Wood is brown in the store, not black, so the first color fails.
- **A match.** A match head may be red and the stick turns black after it burns, so the order is wrong.