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sam9669
8y

Legit Apple Interview
There are three boxes, one contains only apples, one contains only oranges, and one contains both apples and oranges. The boxes have been incorrectly labeled such that no label identifies the actual contents of the box it labels. Opening just one box, and without looking in the box, you take out one piece of fruit. By looking at the fruit, how can you immediately label all of the boxes correctly?
Those who got it answer it directly on Saturday/Sunday until then good luck

Comments
  • 1
    We know that NEITHER of the labels are correct so this ones easy
  • 4
    Easy...

    From what I've been told, once I take out a piece to verify that it's fruit, I can then label the other three boxes "fruit" and go have a mojito.
  • 6
    Boxes: A, O, AO

    A cannot contain just apples.
    O cannot contain just oranges.
    AO cannot contain apples and oranges.

    Removing a fruit from A or O won't tell us anything, because the box will contain either only the removed fruit, or a mixture of frit. So remove a fruit from AO, as it cannot be a mixture. Let's assume it is an apple. AO box is now A.

    We know the correct label for Box 3. We know that the label on Box 2 must go somewhere. It can't go to Box 3, which is known, so Oranges must be in Box 1. AO label needs to go somewhere, so Box 2 contains both apples and orange.

    Bam. And nope, haven't heard this puzzle before.
  • 1
    Heres a handy flowchart
  • 2
    You could just quickly feel if there are more fruit when you put your hand in. Apples and oranges feel pretty different.
  • 1
    @Christine you're either a complete genius and I am not being sarcastic here, or your solution makes no sense and is completely wrong.
    I don't understand it.
  • 0
    The key here is all boxes are labeled incorrectly. Here is the solution https://mathsisfun.com/puzzles/...
  • 2
    Pick the ao labelled box, label it correctly. Swap still labelled box and ao label.
  • 0
    I strongly dislike this kind of question. The information you are given is intentionally vague. The "boxes have been labeled incorrectly" could be interpreted as them having wrong labels. Such as "potato, null, 42" or "apples, apples, oranges". There is no reason to assume that the wrong labels are a transposition of the correct ones, if you don't know the solution in advance. And the "such that no label identifies the contents" part even reinforces the uncertainty by suggesting that the labels lack information about the contents.

    Although I have to admit, this question is much better than some other similar questions I've seen.
  • 0
    @codeblue All boxes have to switch their labels. If content of box one is x, you give label x to box x, and then just switch the others.
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