Description
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?
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.
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.
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.