2833. How can you calculate 7 minutes using a 9-min and a 4-min hourglass?

Hard
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Description

Interviewer

Imagine you have two hourglasses—one takes 9 minutes to run out and the other takes 4 minutes. How would you use these hourglasses to measure exactly 7 minutes?

Skill Assessed
  • 1. Problem Solving : This question examines your analytical skills in devising a creative solution to a problem using limited resources.

  • 2. Logical Thinking : You must apply logical reasoning to figure out how to accurately measure the time with the hourglasses provided.

  • 3. Attention to Detail : The ability to consider the specifics of the tools at hand and their constraints is crucial to finding the solution.

  • 4. Strategic Planning : You must strategically plan how to use the hourglasses in conjunction to achieve the desired result.

Purpose
  • 1. Assessing Problem-Solving Ability : The interviewer wants to gauge your ability to solve a non-standard problem that doesn't have an obvious or straightforward solution.

  • 2. Understanding Thought Process : Your response to this question reveals how you approach a complex scenario and break it down into manageable parts.

  • 3. Evaluating Creativity : This question tests your creativity in utilizing given tools in unconventional ways to solve a problem.

  • 4. Checking for Analytical Skills : The interviewer is interested in your capacity to conceive and apply a systematic approach to the challenge presented.


Hints
  • 1. Consider starting both hourglasses at the same time : This approach will help you utilize the total time each hourglass runs in conjunction with one another.

  • 2. Think about what happens when one hourglass runs out before the other : Understanding the time remaining in each hourglass at different points can provide a clue to the solution.

  • 3. Contemplate the incremental time measurements you can create : You can measure increments of time by considering the differences in time it takes each hourglass to run out.

Tags
Topics: 
Problem Solving
Technical Skills
Roles: 
Member Of Technical Staff
Companies: 
Oracle
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