There is a drum full of milk, people come for buying milk in the range of 1-40 litres. You can have only 4 cans to draw milk out of drum. tell me what should be the measurement of these four cans so that you can measure any amount of milk in the range of 1-40 litres.
Note: idea is to minimise the efforts to draw the milk, also you are allowed to take back the milk from bigger can to small can
Check your answer:-
*separate the caacity by hyphen to check, so if your answer is 1,2,3,4 check for 1-2-3-4 in increasing order
Click here to See SolutionSuppose you have ‘x’ no of cans and you are able to measure up to n litres.
Now if the next can is of capacity 2*n+1 , you can now measure from (n+1)L to 2n L by subtracting the measurement of x cans from the (2*n+1). And you can also measure upto 3n+1 litres by adding (measurements of x cans + 2n+1).
So the 1st can will be of 1L then 2nd can will be of 3L(2*1+1) and we can measure upto 3*1+1(3n+1) i.e 4 (1, 3-1, 3, 3+1).
n = 4 (with 2 cans of 1 and 3)
and the 3rd should be 2*n+1 => 9 and we can measure upto 3*n+1 i.e 13L.
n = 13 (with 3 cans of 1,3 and 9 L cans)
and the 4th can should be 2*n+1 i.e 27 and we can measure upto 3*n+1 i.e. 40.
so we just need 4 cans of 1, 3, 9 and 27 L capacity.
Rock says
for this type of puzzles think about power of 3.
eg-3^0,3^1….. 3^n;
Dilip lalwani says
Minimum use of the measurements word is necessary otherwise so many answers are there
Ambika says
1,2,2,5
sushmitha says
1 2 4 8
Delisia says
1,2,5,9
Vivek Gupta says
if u would have to use any container multiple number of times, only one container was sufficient, i.e. 1 Liter, i could be repeated any number of times.
but if u have to use each container only once at max for a number, in this case u cant measure anything above 17 with your ans…
Shamu Shihabudeen says
1 = 1
3-1 = 2
3 = 3
3+1 = 4
9-3-1 = 5
9-3 = 6
9-3+1 = 7
9-1 = 8
9 = 9
9+1 = 10
9+3-1 = 11
9+3 = 12
9+3+1 = 13
27-9-3-1 = 14
27-9-3 = 15
27-9-3+1 = 16
27-9-1 = 18
27-9 = 18
27-9+1 = 19
27-9+3-1 = 20
27-9+3 = 21
27-9+3+1 = 22
27-3-1 = 23
27-3 = 24
27-3+1 = 25
27-1 = 26
27 = 27
27+1 = 28
27+3-1 = 29
27+3 = 30
27+3+1 = 31
27+9-3-1 = 32
27+9-3 = 33
27+9-3+1 = 34
27+9-1 = 35
27+9 = 36
27+9+1 = 37
27+9+3-1 = 38
27+9+3 = 39
27+9+3+1 = 40
Ajit says
Similar puzzle. If you have 5 cans and total of 121 litres of milk, what should be the sizes of the cans?
Vivek Gupta says
its 1,3,9,27,81..
and it is not a similar question, but the same question.. :p
rahul says
what is the right answer… only one answer should be correct, but here more then one answers posted… which is right ? anyone can help ?
Vish says
1,2,5 & 10 litres mugs make the transaction easy.
XYZ says
but for a small calculation like 2litre.. u’l need 2 iterations in this case
Yola says
1,3,5,10
Arul says
1,5,10,20
Arul says
1,5,10,20
Shaina says
Why only 1 L container not enough to measure 1-40, rest you can pick any sizes. Am i missing something
Prayesh says
well, you need to draw the milk through any number of those 4 containers, but only one time each…. as what i think the question want to say….
Ayushi Grover says
But we arent using one each time.
1 = 1
3-1 = 2
3 = 3
3+1 = 4
9-3-1 = 5
9-3 = 6
9-3+1 = 7
9-1 = 8
9 = 9
9+1 = 10
9+3-1 = 11
9+3 = 12
9+3+1 = 13
27-9-3-1 = 14
27-9-3 = 15
27-9-3+1 = 16
27-9-1 = 18
27-9 = 18
27-9+1 = 19
27-9+3-1 = 20
27-9+3 = 21
27-9+3+1 = 22
27-3-1 = 23
27-3 = 24
27-3+1 = 25
27-1 = 26
27 = 27
27+1 = 28
27+3-1 = 29
27+3 = 30
27+3+1 = 31
27+9-3-1 = 32
27+9-3 = 33
27+9-3+1 = 34
27+9-1 = 35
27+9 = 36
27+9+1 = 37
27+9+3-1 = 38
27+9+3 = 39
27+9+3+1 = 40
Gaurav Mehta says
1,3,9,27
Manish says
how is 2 litres possible?
VJ says
3 litres – 1 litre = 2 litres
Manish says
the twist comes here, if we can remove milk from the can, then a can of 1 litre is sufficient..!!
arc says
you have to do it in 3 operations only . Eg. 27+9-3+1
alim says
Take 3 remov 2
rajat says
how is 7 kg possible??
VJ says
take 9 litres, then 1 litre and then remove 3 litres. So, 9+1-3=7.
kd says
u hav a can that has a capacity of 9 litres and u wanna add 1 more litre to and then remove 3 litre from…
*u cannot take a extra can for mixing it up…as u r given only 4 cans
Avinash says
first remove 3 litres from those 9 litres and then add 1litre to it
Sam says
1,5,9,17
Gaurav Mehta says
19 and some other no.s are nt possible
aftab says
1,2,4,8
Ajesh says
The 4 Jars should be of 1L , 2L , 3L & 7L.
Guest says
only three cans 1,2,5 are sufficient.
don says
only one can of 1litres is also sufficient
Yash01 says
10,5,2,1
rohan says
I also think the same
Dilip lalwani says
They should add a line that what are the measurements so that you can give any liter up to 40 using minimum times measurement ,then only one answer is there 1 3 9 27
Aditya says
1,3,9,27
vignesh kumar says
how you find
Saurabh Shukla says
Suppose you have ‘x’ no of cans and you are able to measure up to n litres. Now if the next can ->(x+1) th is of capacity 2*n+1 , you can now measure from (n+1)L to 2n L by subtracting the measurement of x cans from the (x+1)th can. And you can also measure upto 3n+1 litres by adding.
So the 1st can will be of 1L then 2nd can will be of 3L and the 3rd will be of 9 but with these cans you can only measure upto 13L so you need another can of capacity 27L to be able to measure 40L
Rajender Singh says
1,2,3,5
Jagvir Singh says
i think it is 1,2,3,5
namita says
1,3,5,10 liters jar