A rope passes over a pulley, suspending a bucket at each end. Bucket A contains 10 kg of sand, while Bucket B contains 4 kg of sand. How many kilograms of sand must be transferred from Bucket A to Bucket B so that both buckets balance evenly?
3 kg
The total mass is 10 + 4 = 14 kg. For both sides to balance evenly, each bucket must carry 14 / 2 = 7 kg. Bucket A must transfer 10 - 7 = 3 kg to Bucket B.
About this riddle
Math riddles hide a calculation inside a short story. Pull out the numbers, work out what is being asked, and watch for a trick such as a unit change.
Difficulty: Medium. More like this: Math riddles with answers or try Target 24 for a different kind of puzzle.
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