Study the following information carefully and answer the questions given below.
Six boxes – P, Q, R, S, T and U – are stacked one above the other. Each box contains a different item: Pens, Clocks, Bottles, Radios, Cups and Paints.
All the information is not necessarily in the same order.
The box which contains clocks is placed three boxes below Box T. More than two boxes are placed between Box T and Box Q. The box which is placed two boxes above Box Q contains bottles. The number of boxes above the box which contains bottles is same as the number of boxes placed below Box R. Box P and Box S are placed adjacent to each other. Box S doesn’t contain bottles and pens. Box Q and Box U doesn’t contain Radios. The box which contains radios is placed immediately above the box which contains cups. Box Q doesn’t contain paints. The box which contains paints is not placed below the box which contains Cups.
If Box T and Box P interchanged their items then what item does Box T contain?
Correct Answer :
Bottles
Solution :
The correct answer is Bottles.
Let's determine the step-by-step arrangement of the boxes and their contents based on the given clues:
We have 6 positions for the boxes, which we can number from 6 (topmost) to 1 (bottommost):
6 (Top)
5
4
3
2
1 (Bottom)
Step 1: Analyze clues regarding Box T, Box Q, and Clocks.
- "The box which contains clocks is placed three boxes below Box T." This means if Box T is at position x, the Clocks box is at position .
- "More than two boxes are placed between Box T and Box Q." This means there must be at least 3 boxes between Box T and Box Q.
Let's look at the possible positions for Box T:
- If Box T is at 6: Clocks is at 3. Box Q must be at 1 or 2 (at least 3 boxes between them, so positions 5, 4, 3 are between T at 6 and Q at 2, or positions 5, 4, 3, 2 are between T at 6 and Q at 1).
- If Box T is at 5: Clocks is at 2. Q can only be at 1 (which gives 3 boxes between T and Q: 4, 3, 2).
- If Box T is at 4: Clocks is at 1. No position is available for Q to have more than 2 boxes between T and Q.
Step 2: Use the clue about Bottles and Box Q.
- "The box which is placed two boxes above Box Q contains bottles." This means if Box Q is at position y, the Bottles box is at position .
Let's test the possible cases:
- Case A: T is at 6, Clocks is at 3.
If Q is at 2: The Bottles box is at . Let's check the number of boxes above Bottles (position 4): there are 2 boxes (5 and 6). "The number of boxes above the box which contains bottles is same as the number of boxes placed below Box R." Since there are 2 boxes above Bottles, there must be 2 boxes below Box R. This places Box R at position 3. But position 3 contains Clocks.
If Q is at 1: The Bottles box is at . This is a contradiction because Clocks is at 3, but the Bottles box is also at 3. This is not possible.
- Case B: T is at 5, Clocks is at 2, and Q is at 1.
The Bottles box is at . The number of boxes above Bottles (position 3) is 3 (positions 4, 5, 6). Thus, the number of boxes below Box R must also be 3. This places Box R at position 4.
This arrangement is valid. Let's write down the current positions:
6: [Empty]
5: Box T [Empty]
4: Box R [Empty]
3: [Empty] (Bottles)
2: [Empty] (Clocks)
1: Box Q [Empty]
Step 3: Place Box P and Box S.
- "Box P and Box S are placed adjacent to each other." The available positions for boxes are 6, 3, and 2.
The only adjacent empty spots are 3 and 2. Thus, {P, S} must occupy positions 3 and 2.
- "Box S doesn’t contain bottles and pens." Since position 3 contains Bottles, Box S cannot be at position 3. Therefore, Box S must be at position 2, and Box P must be at position 3.
This leaves Box U for the remaining position 6.
Let's update the table:
6: Box U [Empty]
5: Box T [Empty]
4: Box R [Empty]
3: Box P (Bottles)
2: Box S (Clocks)
1: Box Q [Empty]
Step 4: Determine the remaining items.
- "The box which contains radios is placed immediately above the box which contains cups." This means Radios and Cups must be in consecutive positions (Radios directly above Cups).
- "Box Q and Box U doesn’t contain Radios."
The available items to place are Pens, Radios, Cups, and Paints.
Since Box Q (position 1) and Box U (position 6) cannot contain Radios, and the Radios box must be immediately above the Cups box, let's look at the remaining positions:
If Box T (5) contains Radios, Box R (4) must contain Cups. This is valid.
If Box R (4) contains Radios, Box P (3) must contain Cups, but Box P already contains Bottles. So this is not possible.
Therefore, Box T (5) contains Radios, and Box R (4) contains Cups.
Now we update the table:
6: Box U [Empty]
5: Box T (Radios)
4: Box R (Cups)
3: Box P (Bottles)
2: Box S (Clocks)
1: Box Q [Empty]
- "Box Q doesn’t contain paints. The box which contains paints is not placed below the box which contains Cups."
Since Cups is at position 4, Paints must be placed at a position higher than 4. The only empty position higher than 4 is 6 (Box U). Thus, Box U contains Paints.
- The remaining item is Pens, which must go to the remaining box, Box Q (position 1). Let's verify: "Box S doesn't contain pens." Box S contains Clocks, which is consistent.
The final arrangement is:
6: Box U (Paints)
5: Box T (Radios)
4: Box R (Cups)
3: Box P (Bottles)
2: Box S (Clocks)
1: Box Q (Pens)
Step 5: Answer the final question.
- "If Box T and Box P interchanged their items then what item does Box T contain?"
Currently, Box T contains Radios and Box P contains Bottles.
If they interchange their items, Box T will contain Bottles (and Box P will contain Radios).
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