You have two buckets – one holds exactly 5 gallons and the other 3 gallons. How can you measure 4 gallons of water into the 5 gallon bucket?
(Assume you have an unlimited supply of water and that there are no measurement markings of any kind on the buckets.)
November 26th, 2011 | Category: 
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Take water in the 5 gallon bucket and empty it in the three gallon bucket. You are left with 2 gallons in the 5 gallon bucket. Now empty the water from the 3 gallon bucket and put the 2 gallons of water in the 3 gallon bucket. The 5 gallon bucket becomes empty and the 3 gallon bucket has 2 gallons in it. Now, re-fill the 5 gallon bucket and empty it in the 3 gallon bucket. As the 3 gallon bucket can hold only a gallon more, yoy are left out with 4 gallons in the 5 gallon bucket.
Complicated explantion!
Great explanation, Sid.
1. Fill the 3-gallon bucket.
2. Pour the 3 gallons of water into the 5-gallon bucket
3. Fill the 3-gallon bucket again.
4. Fill up the 5-gallon bucket with the 3-gallon bucket, leaving you with 1 gallon left in the 3-gallon bucket.
5. Empty out the 5-gallon bucket.
6. Pour the remaining 1 gallon of water from the 3-gallon bucket into the 5-gallon bucket.
7. Fill the 3-gallon bucket.
8. Pour the 3 gallons of water from the 3-gallon bucket into the 5-gallon bucket leaving you with 4 gallons of water in the 5-gallon bucket.
Alternate solution:
1. Fill up the 5 gallon bucket
2. Pour it into 3 gallon bucket, leaving 2 gallons
3. Empty out the 3 gallon bucket
4. Pour the 2 gallons in the 5 gallon bucket into the 3 gallon bucket
5. Fill up the 5 gallon bucket and pour it into the 3 gallon bucket until it’s full, leaving 4 gallons in the 5 gallon bucket.
Great job, you’re today’s winner.