Brain Teasers
Apple Cider
A customer arrives at an apple cider farm with a five gallon container and asks the farmer to put four gallons of his finest cider into it. Unfortunately, the only measure the farmer has is a three gallon jug. Can you think of a way that the farmer can measure out exactly four gallons of cider using just these two containers?
Answer
First, fill up the three gallon jug. Pour the three gallons into the five gallon container. Refill the three gallon jug and once again pour it into the five gallon container until it is full. The three gallon jug now contains one gallon. Empty the five gallon container back into the storage tank and then pour the one gallon of cider into it. Now, fill the three gallon jug up again and pour it into the customer`s five gallon container. The container will now contain the desired four gallons.Hide Answer Show Answer
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Comments
Feb 02, 2001
I think there`s a answer that takes fewer steps.
Im not sure if its any faster, but you could fill the 5 gallon container and pour it into the 3 gallon container. There are now 2 gallons in the big container. Give this to the customer and repeat the process to get 4 gallons.
Nov 07, 2001
this is not the only soloution.
you can fill the 5 gallon, then use it to fill the three. this gives you 2 gallons.
pour those two into the (emptied) 3 gallon jug. fill the 5 gallon jug then pour a single gallon out into the 3 gallon jug. this fills the 3 gallon jug leaving 4 gallons in the larger jug
you can fill the 5 gallon, then use it to fill the three. this gives you 2 gallons.
pour those two into the (emptied) 3 gallon jug. fill the 5 gallon jug then pour a single gallon out into the 3 gallon jug. this fills the 3 gallon jug leaving 4 gallons in the larger jug
Why do you get to pour back into the "storage bin"? The riddle says you only get to use two containers.
ah yes, also in Die Hard 4 with Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson
1) In reply to the comment of captbob61:
"Why do you get to pour back into the "storage bin"? The riddle says you only get to use two containers"
-- If you can't use the storage bin, you can't pour OUT of it either, and there's no answer to a trivial teaser.
2) The solution hinted at by dragon, proposed by jake, and repeated by PeterA, takes 6 steps, 2 less than the teaser-maker's solution.
"Why do you get to pour back into the "storage bin"? The riddle says you only get to use two containers"
-- If you can't use the storage bin, you can't pour OUT of it either, and there's no answer to a trivial teaser.
2) The solution hinted at by dragon, proposed by jake, and repeated by PeterA, takes 6 steps, 2 less than the teaser-maker's solution.
I saw this in Die Hard 4
Same answer as Jake.
Very cool.
I heard this one before and knew the answer.
we have all seen die hard with a trilogy
i like these types of teasers.
YAY!!!
YAY!!!
There has to be a separate storage bin that wasn't counted as one of the "only" containers, or else the farmer would not have had more than his own three gallon bucket full of cider available and not been able to sell the guy four gallons. That sort of seems like a given. Peter A's method worked for me.
wattever
I used PeterAs method too...
But the farmer measured 1 gallon and put it into the 5gallon container. Why couldn't the farmer just do that 4 times? I think the farmer took a back road.
never watched the die hard movies. came up with solution. thank you.
I don't think the "Fill the 5 gallon, pour into 3 gallon, repeat" works, because where would you store the first 2 gallons? You can't keep it in the 5 gallon - how would you repeat? Same with the 3 gallon. And if you put it into the storage, it'd get mixed (duh). The farmer only has those 2 containers with him (and the storage tank), so there'd be no place to put it.
I think I'd just give the customer 1 gallon free.....save all the pouring.
Good teaser I didn't get it, lol.
Good teaser I didn't get it, lol.
Many people must remember this from the movie, because I have read this before, not always cider, but always a liquid. Classic.
This was exactly the level of puzzle that I had to struggle with and overcome. PeterA's way, no doubt.
Rrn0rrn - I first found this puzzle in the movie Die Hard with a Vengeance
I am still new to this site, but I submitted a correction with the alternate solution - but said to disregard if it was more being pedantic than anything, which it may have been :-\
But it was good to find another solution - great teaser
I am still new to this site, but I submitted a correction with the alternate solution - but said to disregard if it was more being pedantic than anything, which it may have been :-\
But it was good to find another solution - great teaser
Great Job! Muchos Gracias!
♥Alex♥
♥Alex♥
0 3
3 0
3 3
5 1
0 1
1 0
1 3
4 0
I followed the path shown in the answer.
3 0
3 3
5 1
0 1
1 0
1 3
4 0
I followed the path shown in the answer.
yo baby i did it ...
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