You have 3 unmarked pitchers that hold 6 cups, 10 cups, and 15 cups. The 10 cup pitcher is filled with lemonade, but you have to dilute it so people at the party don't complain that it's too sour. Unfortunately, I have, in the name of logic, broken your only measuring cup.

How can you dilute the lemonade to 20 cups such that all of the lemonade is of equal concentration? You have a sink with unlimited water, but you can't waste any lemonade. Try using as few moves as possible.

Here we go:

• Fill the 6 cup pitcher with lemonade concentrate.  This leaves 4 cups in the 10 cup pitcher.
• Empty the 6 cup pitcher into the 15 cup pitcher.
• Fill the 6 cup pitcher with water, and empty it into the 15 cup pitcher.
• (this may be cheating, but) Mark the 10 cup pitcher at the level of the lemonade concentrate (4 cups).
• Empty the the rest of the concentrate from the 10 cup pitcher into the 6 cup pitcher.
• Fill the 10 cup pitcher up to the 4 cup line you marked.
• Empty the 6 cup pitcher into the 10 cup pitcher, and voila.  I count 8 discreet moves.

Edited on July 27, 2005, 11:34 pm

Posted by Josh70679 on 2005-07-27 23:33:28