Solution to: Jolly Jugs

Solution 1:

Fill the 5-liter jug. Then fill the 3-liter jug to the top with water from the 5-liter jug. Now you have 2 liters of water in the 5-liter jug. Dump out the 3-liter jug and pour what is in the 5-liter jug into the 3-liter jug. Then refill the 5-liter jug, and fill up the 3-liter jug to the top. Since there were already 2 liters of water in the 3-liter jug, 1 liter is removed from the 5-liter jug, leaving 4 liters of water in the 5-liter jug.

Solution 2:

Fill the 3-liter jug and pour it into the 5-liter jug. Then refill the 3-liter jug and fill up the 5-liter jug to the top. Since there were already 3 liters of water in the 5-liter jug, 2 liters of water are removed from the 3-liter jug, leaving 1 liter of water in the 3-liter jug. Then dump out the 5-liter jug and pour what is in the 3-liter jug into the 5-liter jug. Refill the 3-liter jug and pour it into the 5-liter jug. Now you have 4 liters of water in the 5-liter jug.

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