this actually is an easier riddle to solve

TallBill

Lifer
Apr 29, 2001
46,017
62
91
yOU have a 3 gallon bucket and a 5 gallon bucket, and an unlimited supply of water... how can you measure out 4 gallons
 

J3anyus

Platinum Member
Mar 30, 2001
2,774
0
76
Fill up the 3 gallon bucket, pour that into the 5 gallon bucket, then fill the 3 gallon bucket up a third of the way and pour that into the 5 gallon bucket. Magic, 4 gallons :)

Although I'm sure that's not the answer you're looking for.
 

polypterus

Golden Member
Jan 14, 2001
1,766
1
76


<< Fill up the 3 gallon bucket, pour that into the 5 gallon bucket, then fill the 3 gallon bucket up a third of the way and pour that into the 5 gallon bucket. Magic, 4 gallons :)

Although I'm sure that's not the answer you're looking for.
>>



lol, why not just fill up the 5 gallon bucket 4/5 of the way. :D

dc
 

way

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
547
0
0
Fill the 5 gal bucket. Pour as much as you can into the 3 gal bucket.
Now the 5 gal bucket has 2 gal. Empty the 3 gal bucket. Now pour the 2 gal into the 3 gal bucket.

Fill the 5 gal bucket again. Pour what you can from it to the 3 gal bucket (that has 2 gal already). When that fills up, you've x-ferred 1 gal from the 5 gal bucket so there's exactly 4 gal in the 5 gal bucket.
 

Ronstang

Lifer
Jul 8, 2000
12,493
18
81
FIll the 3 gallon and pour it into the 5 gallon. Fill the 3 gallon again and pour into the 5 gallon to top it off, when the 5 gallon is full there is only 1 gallon left in the 3 gallon bucket. Empty the 5 gallon bucket and transfer the 1 gallon left in the 3 gallon bucket into it. Now fill the 3 gallon again and pour it into the 5 gallon bucket that has 1 gallon in it and Presto 4 gallons!
 
Oct 16, 1999
10,490
4
0
Or you can fill the 3 gallon bucket and pour it into the empty 5 gallon bucket. Then fill the 3 gallon bucket again and fill the 5 gallon bucket up from it. That leaves one gallon in the 3 gallon bucket. Pour the 5 gallon bucket out, then pour in the one gallon left from the 3 gallon bucket into the 5 gallon bucket. Then fill the 3 gallon bucket again and empty it into the 5 gallon bucket. Four gallons in the 5 gallon bucket.

Bah, Ronstang beat me to it.