10 October 2013

Puzzle – alligation?

While it is not exactly about mixing liquids, it involves pouring liquids alright.
You have three containers whose capacity are 12 gallons, 8 gallons and 5 gallons respectively. The 12 gallon container is filled with water and the other two are empty. You have nothing else. You have to divide the water into two parts of 6 gallons each. In other words, by a sequence of pouring from one container to the other, you have to eventually have 6 gallons in the 12 gallon container and another 6 gallons in the 8 gallon container.
How would you do it?



Posted October 10, 2013 by Rajib Roy in category "Puzzles

18 COMMENTS :

  1. By Rajib Roy (Post author) on

    Madhu, I should have repeated the rules from the past. You do not post answers on comments section. Send a personal message to me, this allows others to try. The answer, however is correct!

    Reply
  2. By Rajib Roy (Post author) on

    Debasis, dude you are not supposed to send answers on the comment section. The answer is right though

    Reply
  3. By Rajib Roy (Post author) on

    Answer to the puzzle:
    start with: 12 – 0 – 0
    pour from first to second 4 – 8 – 0
    pour from second to third 4 – 3 – 5
    pour from third to first 9 – 3 – 0
    pour from second to third 9 – 0 – 3
    pour from first to second 1 – 8 – 3
    pour from second to third 1 – 6 – 5
    pour from third to first 6 – 6 – 0 !!

    Reply

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