You have to defuse a bomb by placing water on a sensor.You only have a 5 gallon jug and a 3 gallons jug on hand.It seems impossible without a measuring cup, but it's actually remarkably simple.
Step 1: You can simplify the question and your options.
Think of the riddle in its most basic terms when you set the movie aside.What are your options, and what is your goal?You have two empty water jugs in your hands.One holds 3 gallons of water while the other holds 5 gallons.To measure 4 gallons of water, you need to use these jugs.You have enough water to do it.
Step 2: Where will you keep the water?
To measure out your 4 gallons, you need to put it somewhere.The right answer must involve getting the right amount of water in the 5-gallon jug because you couldn't possibly fit it there.
Step 3: All good riddles have everything you need for a solution.
The solution doesn't involve finding fractions of jugs or bringing in another jug.You have an unlimited supply of water.How can you get to 4 gallons?How can you get to 4 with 3 and 5?You can use or pour as much water as you want.You can't tell how much water is in the jug unless you fill it all the way up.
Step 4: A simple math problem is what this is.
If you are still stuck, ignore the water and jugs.How can you add and subtract to get to 4?The numbers represent gallons, so this is all you are doing.Adding water or dumping it out is just adding and subtracting.
Step 5: Completely fill the 5-jug.
5 gallons will be in the 5-jug.If you don't know how much you have, you must fill all the gallons up.
Step 6: The water from the 5-jug can be used to fill the 3-jug.
You have 2 gallons left in the 5-jug and 3 gallons in a 3-jug.
Step 7: Pick up the 3-gallon jug.
You don't have anything in the 3- and 5-jugs.
Step 8: The water from the five jug should be transferred to the three jug.
You have 2 gallons left in the 3-jug.There was nothing in the 5-jug.
Step 9: The 5-jug needs to be filled completely.
You now have 5 gallons in the 5-jug.The space left in the 3-jug is 1 gallon.
Step 10: The water from the 5-jug can be used to fill up the 3-jug.
The water from the 5-jug should be used to fill up the last gallon of space in the 3-jug.You have 3 gallons in the 3-jug.
Step 11: The 3-jug should be filled completely with water.
You have 3 gallons of water.
Step 12: The water should be put into the 5-jug.
You don't have anything in the 3- and 5-jugs.
Step 13: Re-fill the 3-jug.
You now have 3 gallons in both the 3- and 5-jugs.
Step 14: Take the water from the 3-jug and put it in the 5-jug.
You have 1 gallon and 5 gallons in the 3- and 5-jugs.In the last step, you only had 2 gallons of space left over, so you could only pour two gallons.
Step 15: You can refill the 5-jug with your 1 gallon.
You don't have anything in the 3- and 5-jugs.
Step 16: You need to fill the 3-jug.
You now have a total of 3 gallons in the 3- and 5-jugs.
Step 17: Transfer the 3 gallons of water into the 5-jug and you have 4 gallons.
You can pour over three gallons into the 5-jug, which only had one gallon in it previously.A successfully deflated bomb.