Question 41
MediumOriginal questionSeven cartons in a godown are stacked in a single pile. Each holds something different: books, clothes, lamps, plates, shoes, tools or toys. Positions are counted from the bottom: the bottom box is position 1. 'Above' or 'below' means anywhere higher or lower in the stack; 'immediately above' means resting directly on top of it. The following is known:
1. The box of shoes is exactly in the middle of the stack.
2. The box of books is immediately above the box of tools.
3. Exactly two boxes lie between the box of books and the box of plates.
4. The box of clothes is above the box of toys, and the box of toys is above the box of plates.
5. The box of lamps is below the box of shoes.
How many cartons are there between the carton of tools and the carton of toys?
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Shoes are at position 4, the middle of seven (clue 1). Books sit directly on tools (clue 2).
Plates need two cartons above them (toys, then clothes, clue 4), so plates are at 5 or lower; plates are three places from books (clue 3).
Try books at 2 (tools 1): plates at 5, toys 6, clothes 7, and lamps take 3, which is below shoes (clue 5). Everything fits.
Books at 3 would push plates to 6 (too high); books at 6 or 7 would put plates at 3 or 4, and with tools at 5 or 6 there is no room above for both toys and clothes. So books at 2 is the only arrangement.
Tools are at 1 and toys at 6; positions 2, 3, 4 and 5 lie between: 4 cartons.
Worth noting
5 is the difference , which counts one end as well.
- Concept
- Counting between two positions in a stack
- Typical timeTypical
- 80 s
- Your timeYours
- —
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