Tea Puzzle

[DrMike]

A man has 14 sugar cubes, and 3 cups of tea.

How can he put all the sugar into the tea, ensuring he puts an odd number of sugar cubes into each cup?

 

[Goistein]

Highlight for answer (tried to hide in case people still want to solve)

Cup 1 Contents 1 cube
Cup 2 Contents 1 cube
Cup 3 Contents 13 cubes (12 directly in the cup and 1 in Cup 1) Cup 1

Alternate Method
Cup 1 1 cube
Cup 2 1 cube
Cup 3 12 cubes, 12 is a very odd number to put

 

[soroban]

Highlight between the asterisks.

*
Place 5 cubes in Cup 1.
Place 5 cubes in Cup 2.
Place 4 cubes in Cup 3.

Place Cup 2 in Cup 3.
*

 

[Denis]

Well, ye olde solution to that old puzzle is placing containers inside containers et al,
but here the containers are full of tea, plus "cups" are usually same size, so can't
put one inside the other; so you must be looking for a "new" kinda solution ?

 

[Loren]

Put 1 cube into one cup of tea. Drink it. Now put 3, 5 and 5 cubes into the 3 cups.

 

[Denis]

Put 1 cube into one cup of tea. Drink it. Now put 3, 5 and 5 cubes into the 3 cups.

But then Loren, whatever sugar you put in the empty cup will not be "in the tea"!
Mike clearly states: "How can he put all the sugar into the tea?"
Perhaps ok to pour some tea in that empty cup from the other 2 cups :roll:

 

[Loren]

Then just drink half of the cup of tea before putting the rest of the cubes into the cups.

 

[mmm4444bot]

… 3 cups of tea … The volume is clear, but the containers are ambiguous.

… put all the sugar into the tea … This instruction is ambiguous.

… into each cup? … This noun is ambiguous.

… "cups" are usually same size … This is an assumption.

… sugar you put in the empty [container] … Some tea will remain in the container, unless you rinse it out.

I'm waiting to see the doctor's solution. :twisted:

 

[Denis]

Re:

I'm waiting to see the doctor's solution.

It'll probably be the groaner:
put 1 in each of 2 cups, 12 in the other: that's sure an odd number of sugar cubes for 1 cup :roll:

 

[mmm4444bot]

… that's sure an odd number of sugar cubes for 1 cup …

Not in the United States, apparently.

I recently saw Pizza Hut advertise on television that, for an extra fee, customers may now get their pizza sprinkled with sugar.

We put sugar in packets of salt.

We put high-fructose corn syrup in practically everything processed.

In might be that some Americans only get off their fat ass when they run out of sugar. :wink:

 

[DrMike]

Put 1 cube into one cup of tea. Drink it. Now put 3, 5 and 5 cubes into the 3 cups.

You've still put either 4 or 6 into one of the cups...

 

[DrMike]

Re: Re:

I'm waiting to see the doctor's solution.

It'll probably be the groaner:
put 1 in each of 2 cups, 12 in the other: that's sure an odd number of sugar cubes for 1 cup :roll:

That's the one..

But I secretly like the 'cup in a cup' solution (although I wouldn't let anyone know that, of course, eg by posting the fact on a public forum...)

 

[DrMike]

Re:

… that's sure an odd number of sugar cubes for 1 cup …

Not in the United States, apparently.

I recently saw Pizza Hut advertise on television that, for an extra fee, customers may now get their pizza sprinkled with sugar.

We put sugar in packets of salt.

We put high-fructose corn syrup in practically everything processed.

Ouch..!