Challenging Brain Teaser to Test Your Skills – December 17, 2016

Distribution of Pills by Nurse Lucy

Task Overview

Nurse Kate instructed Nurse Lucy to divide the pills from a large container into three smaller ones. The distribution was to be as follows:

– 2/3 of the pills in the first container
– 1/4 of the pills in the second container
– 2/6 of the pills in the third container

Lucy’s Concern

Upon receiving the instructions, Lucy immediately expressed her skepticism, stating, “But this is impossible.”

Analyzing the Distribution

Is Lucy correct in her assessment?

To determine this, we need to check if the total fraction of pills adds up to 1. The calculation is as follows:

– 2/3 + 1/4 + 2/6

Converting the fractions:

– 2/3 + 2/6 = 2/3 + 1/3 = 1
– Adding 1/4 to this total gives 1 + 1/4, which equals more than 1.

Conclusion

Lucy is indeed correct; the total amount exceeds 1, making it impossible to distribute the pills as instructed.