Measuring 4 and 4 Litres - Solution

Puzzles -> Measuring Puzzles

The Puzzle: You are camping, and have an 8-liter bowl which is full of fresh water.

You need to share this water fairly into exactly two portions (4 + 4 liters).

But you only have two empty bowls: a 5-liter and a 3-liter bowl.

Divide the 8 liters in half in as short a time as possible.

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The Solution . . .

Pour 5 liters from the 8-liter to the 5-liter bowl.

Pour 3 liters from the 5-liter to the 3-liter bowl, then pour those 3 liters back to the 8-liter bowl (the 8-liter bowl now has 6 liters).

Pour the remaining 2 liters from the 5-liter over to the 3-liter bowl, the bowls now contain 6, 0 and 2 liters each.

Now, pour 5 liters from the 8-liter to the 5-liter bowl (the 8-liter bowl now has 1 liter)

Pour from the 5-liter to the 3-liter bowl until it is full (exactly one liter). There should now be 4 liters left in the 5-liter bowl,

Pour the 3 liters from the 3-liter to the 8-liter bowl (and now the 8-liter bowl has 4 liters)

The 8-liter and 5-liter bowls now have 4 liters each, as required. And you will not be accused of bias by your fellow campers!

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