Interview Question

[J_V]

Here is an interview question I heard. It is to be worked with pen and paper. I could not solve it.

Mary has 2 20oz glasses full of water. She also has one 14oz glass and one 8oz, both of which are empty. Without a measuring tool of any kind, find a way to end up with 6oz of water in each of the smaller cups, in exactly six steps.

Let's see who's a dimensional analysis specialist out there.

[brassnuts]

Are you allowed to throw some water away? If so, this is really easy.

[partygirluk]

1) Fill the 14 oz. glass.

2) Pour the 14. oz glass so that it fills the 8 0z. There is now 6 Oz. left in this glass.

So now we have:

20/20 and 6/20, 6/14 and 8/8

iii) Pour the 20/20 so that it fills the 6/20.

iv) Now do the opposite of iii)

v) Drink the water in the 8 0z. glass.

vi) Pour the 6/20 into the 8 0z. glass.

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]

v) Drink the water in the 8 0z. glass.

[/ QUOTE ]

Foul!

[TheIrishThug]

20oz one poured into 14oz
leftover 6oz go into 8oz
repeat with the other, but empty the 14oz and fill it with the left over 6oz

[jason_t]

step 1: fill the 14 oz. from one of the 20 oz. glasses
step 2: fill the 8 oz glass from the 14 oz. glass

the next two steps are superfluous; they insure we have six steps

step 3: pour the full 20 oz. glass into the partially filled 20 oz. glass
step 4: repeat step 3
step 5: empty the 8 oz. glass
step 6: pour the partially filled 20 oz. glass into the 8 oz glass

[J_V]

No spilling or drinking.

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]

step 5: empty the 8 oz. glass

[/ QUOTE ]

Foul!

[Piz0wn0reD!!!!!!]

Step 1, eyeball it.

Step 2, call the interviewer a jerk.

[J_V]

I've been at it for an hour and I cannot figure it out for the life of me.