The classic pouring problems deal with one liquid, this one deals with two, water and oil. Properties of the oil and water are as follows:
- Oil floats on water.
- The water and oil never mix.
- The oil and water are both clear and can not be visibly distingushed.
- When pouring, the oil will always pour out before the water will.
- If water is poured into a jug containing oil, the water will sink down to the bottom.
- If oil is poured into a jug containing water, the oil will float on the water.

There is a 60 cup jug filled with 30 cups of water and 30 cups of oil. You also have three empty jugs with capacities of 43 cups, 11 cups and 7 cups to use.

Your task is to separate the oil from the water by pouring from jug to jug.

Example:
If your first move is to pour from the 60 cup jug to the 43 cup jug, the 43 cup jug will contain all 30 cups of oil and 13 cups of water.

I'll have to try a valid solution as well, but here are some comments. 

By definition in the problem...When pouring, the oil will always pour out before the water will. In reality though that would not be the case. Just nitpicking. Another stupid comment: If we only need the water, we could light the oil on fire until it is all burned up. Hey, I warned you it was a stupid comment, but you read it anyway didn't you. Or again, a drop of water based food coloring...okay I'll stop. After all that, it was easier than i figured it to be.

Edited on June 27, 2005, 10:05 pm

Posted by john on 2005-06-27 21:46:47