A, B and C just finished their breakfast. One of the boys had apples, another bananas and the third, grapes. If only one of the following four statements is true, who had what for breakfast?

C had bananas.

C did not have grapes.

B did not have grapes.

B did not have apples.

By process of elimination....

If statement 1 is true then statement 2 is also true since C had bananas and therefore did not have grapes.

So statement 1 must be false. Since only one statement can be true.

If B had bananas then both statements 3 and 4 are true.

So B cannot have had bananas. Since only one statement can be true.

Therefore A must have had bananas since B&C could not.

If C had apples, then both statements 2 & 4 are true.

So C must have had grapes, and in turn B must have eaten apples. Since only one statement can be true.

In summary:

A had bananas
B had apples
C had grapes

Statement 3 is the only true one

Posted by fwaff on 2003-03-03 02:24:17