You've got three boxes with apples. You know that:

1. In box A there are 6 apples less, or double the number of apples, than in box B.

2. in box C there are 5 apples more than in box A, or 5 less apples than in box B.

3. There are at least two boxes with the same number of apples in them.

How many apples are in each box?

By Statement 1 boxes 'A' and 'B' cannot have the same number of apples ... Which leaves just 2 options ... Either C & B have equal number of apples or C & A have.

1) If box C and box A have equal number of apples...say 'x'... and box B has 'y'
then x = y - 5 ... Statement 2
and x = 2y or x = y - 6 ... Statement 1

Which solves into y - 5 = 2y... Y = -5 (Not Possible)

2) If box C and box B have equal number of apples...say 'x'... and box A has 'y'
then y = x - 6 or y = 2x ... Statement 1
and y = x + 5 ... Statement 2

Which solves into x + 5 = 2x ... x = 5

So... C & B have 5 apples each and A has 10.

Edited on March 15, 2007, 10:15 am

Posted by Syzygy on 2007-03-15 10:08:37