Read the details provided below carefully and answer the following question.
A certain number of persons sit in a row facing north. E is the only neighbor of Q. Five persons sit between E and T. K sits immediately to the right of T. B sits second to the right of K. Two persons sit between K and Y. The number of persons sitting between E and H is twice the number of persons sitting between B and Y. The number of persons sitting to the right of Y is four less than the number of persons sitting to the left of Y. More than twelve persons sit in the row.
If H sits second to the right of S, then how many persons sit between S and Q?
Correct Answer :
Eleven
Solution :
To find the number of persons sitting between S and Q, let us determine the exact linear seating arrangement step-by-step based on the given clues.
Step 1: Determine the positions of E, Q, T, K, B, and Y
1. "E is the only neighbor of Q."
This means Q must be at one of the extreme ends of the row, and E is immediately next to Q.
So, the arrangement at this end is either: (Q, E) from left to right or (E, Q) from right to left.
2. "Five persons sit between E and T."
Since Q is at an end, T must be on the other side of E.
So, starting from Q at the extreme left end:
Position 1: Q
Position 2: E
Positions 3 to 7: 5 persons
Position 8: T
3. "K sits immediately to the right of T."
Position 9: K
4. "B sits second to the right of K."
Position 10: [Empty]
Position 11: B
5. "Two persons sit between K and Y."
Since K is at position 9, moving left by 3 steps gives position 6 for Y (between E and T).
Let us verify: Position 6 (Y), Position 7 (_), Position 8 (T), Position 9 (K). Here, 2 persons sit between Y and K (positions 7 and 8). Thus, Y is at position 6.
Let's write out the row positions so far from left to right:
1: Q
2: E
3: _
4: _
5: _
6: Y
7: _
8: T
9: K
10: _
11: B
Step 2: Determine the total number of persons in the row
1. Number of persons between B (pos 11) and Y (pos 6) is:
11 - 6 - 1 = 4 persons (positions 7, 8, 9, 10).
2. "The number of persons sitting between E and H is twice the number of persons sitting between B and Y."
Since persons between B and Y = 4, the number of persons between E and H = 2 × 4 = 8 persons.
3. E is at position 2. Since H must be to the right of E, H's position is:
2 + 8 + 1 = 11th person after E, which is position 11? Wait, position 11 is B. So H is at position 2 + 8 + 1 = 11? No, 8 persons between pos 2 and pos 11 means 11 - 2 - 1 = 8. So H would be at position 11, but B is at position 11. Therefore, H must be at position 11? No, H cannot overlap with B. Let's re-verify the rightward extension of the row.
Let's count the number of persons to the left of Y (pos 6):
Persons to the left of Y = 5 (positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
4. "The number of persons sitting to the right of Y is four less than the number of persons sitting to the left of Y."
Wait, if persons to the left of Y is 5, then four less than 5 is 5 - 4 = 1.
If persons to the right of Y is 1, then the total length would be 6 + 1 = 7, which contradicts "More than twelve persons sit in the row."
Therefore, Q must be at the extreme right end!
Step 3: Analyze with Q at the extreme right end
Let's number the positions from right to left (or left to right, placing Q at the right end):
Let total persons be N.
Position N: Q
Position N - 1: E
5 persons between E and T → Position N - 7: T
K sits immediately to the right of T → Position N - 6: K
B sits second to the right of K → Position N - 4: B
Two persons sit between K (N - 6) and Y → Y can be at N - 3 (to the right) or N - 9 (to the left).
Case A: Y is at position N - 3
Persons between K (N - 6) and Y (N - 3) = 2 (positions N - 5, N - 4). This fits.
Now, persons between B (N - 4) and Y (N - 3) = 0.
Then persons between E (N - 1) and H = 2 × 0 = 0 → H is adjacent to E (position N - 2).
Let's check persons to the right of Y (pos N - 3):
Persons to the right of Y = 3 (positions N - 2, N - 1, N).
Number of persons sitting to the right of Y is four less than number of persons sitting to the left of Y:
3 = (Persons to the left of Y) - 4 ⇒ Persons to the left of Y = 7.
So total persons N = 7 + 1 + 3 = 11. But total persons must be "More than twelve". So Case A is invalid.
Case B: Y is at position N - 9
Persons between K (N - 6) and Y (N - 9) = 2 (positions N - 7, N - 8). This fits!
Let's list positions from left to right relative to N:
Position N - 9: Y
Position N - 8: _
Position N - 7: T
Position N - 6: K
Position N - 5: _
Position N - 4: B
Position N - 3: _
Position N - 2: _
Position N - 1: E
Position N: Q
Now, count persons between B (N - 4) and Y (N - 9):
Positions between them are N - 8, N - 7, N - 6, N - 5 → total 4 persons.
Number of persons between E and H = 2 × 4 = 8 persons.
Since E is at position N - 1, H must be to the left of E:
Position of H = (N - 1) - 8 - 1 = N - 10.
Now, let's calculate total persons N using Y's position:
Y is at position N - 9.
Number of persons to the right of Y = 9 (positions N - 8 through N).
"The number of persons sitting to the right of Y is four less than the number of persons sitting to the left of Y":
9 = (Persons to the left of Y) - 4
⇒ Persons to the left of Y = 9 + 4 = 13.
Since 13 persons sit to the left of Y (which is at position 14 from the left):
Total persons N = 13 + 1 + 9 = 23 persons.
This satisfies "More than twelve persons sit in the row" (23 > 12).
Step 4: Place H and S to answer the question
Since total persons N = 23:
Q is at position 23.
E is at position 22.
H is at position N - 10 = 23 - 10 = 13.
"If H sits second to the right of S":
Position of H = Position of S + 2
13 = Position of S + 2 ⇒ Position of S = 11.
Now, we find the number of persons sitting between S (position 11) and Q (position 23):
Thus, exactly 11 persons sit between S and Q.
The correct answer is Eleven.
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