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3 Measuring glasses.

There are 3 glasses. The biggest one can hold 24 ounces. The medium one can hold 11 ounces and the smallest one can hold 5 ounces. Now you have 24 ounces of soft drink in the largest glass. Can you use just these 3 glasses to make the largest glass contain 12 ounces of soft drink by pouring soft drink from one glass to another?

2 replies on “3 Measuring glasses.”

Three vessels A = 24, B = 11, C = 5 in capacity start out with values ( A= 24, B = 0, C = 0) and the problem is asking us to find a way to take the distribution
24 = 12 + A + B and make it into one of the following cases. Looks the same as the 5L, 3L water problem but with multiple states – same skills to answer as the towers of Hanoi problem.

24 = 12 + 7 + 5
24 = 12 + 8 + 4
24 = 12 + 9 + 3
24 = 12 + 10+ 2
24 = 12 + 11+ 1

24, 0, 0
19, 0, 5
19, 5, 0
13, 11, 0
13, 6, 5
18, 6, 0
18, 1, 5
23, 1, 0
23, 0, 1
12, 11, 1

Seems like there’s a faster method.

Fill the 11 oz then dump it
Fill the 11 oz again (2oz remain in 24oz cup)
From 11oz cup fill 5oz cup, then pour 5 oz in 24oz (7oz now in 24oz cup)
From remaining 6oz in 11oz cup, fill 5 oz cup them pour into 24oz cup.
12oz are now in 24oz cup.

Much easier with beer instead of softdrink.

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