There are many puzzles about pouring liquids between containers so we should mention at least one easy example.
Two pitchers
You have two pitchers 5-liter and 3-liter (liter is approx. 2 pints) and unlimited supply of water. Can you measure out 4 liters?
Hint
There is no trick in this riddle. Important thing is the difference between capacities of the two containers.
Answer
- Fill the 3-liter pitcher pour it into the 5-liter.
- Fill the 3-liter again and fill up the 5-liter. Because 3 liters are already inside one liter will remain in the 3-liter.
- Pour the water out of 5-liter pitcher pour the one liter from the 3-liter pitcher inside and than pour full 3-liter inside...
There are other possible solutions. Here is one of them:
- -Fill the 5-liter.
- -Pour what you can into the 3-liter (2 liters remain).
- -Pour out 3-liter p.
- -Pour remaining 2 liters out of 5-liter into the 3-liter.
- -Fill the 5-liter.
- -Pour what you can into 3-liter (there is space for 1 liter)
- -4 liters remain
