Study the following information carefully and answer the questions given below.
There are seven members in a family. There is no single parent. P is the only daughter of S. M is the grandmother of X. K is the brother-in-law of B. S is the husband of M. A is the only niece of B.
How many male members are there in the family?
Correct Answer :
Four
Solution :
The correct option is Four.
Step-by-step Family Tree Analysis:
1. Understanding the Rules and Clues:
- There are 7 members in the family.
- There is no single parent (every parent must have a spouse in the family).
- "S is the husband of M": S is male (+), and M is female (-). M is married to S.
- "M is the grandmother of X": Since M is married to S, S and M are the grandparents in the generation at the top.
- "P is the only daughter of S": S and M have a daughter, P (-). Since P is the only daughter, any other child of S and M must be male.
- "K is the brother-in-law of B": This means K and B are in the second generation, where one is married to a sibling of the other, or one is married to the sibling.
- "A is the only niece of B": A must be in the third generation (grandchild level). Niece means female (-), so A is a female child of B's sibling.
- Since M is the grandmother of X, X is also in the third generation (grandchild level).
2. Connecting the Generations and Members:
- Generation 1 (Grandparents): S (Male) = M (Female)
- Generation 2 (Parents): S and M must have children. P is their only daughter. To account for K, B, and no single parents:
- P (Female) is married to K (Male).
- S and M also have a son, B (Male). (Since P is the only daughter, B must be a son). Thus, K is the brother-in-law of B.
- Generation 3 (Children/Grandchildren):
- P (Female) and K (Male) are married and have children: A and X.
- "A is the only niece of B": A is female (-), daughter of P and K.
- "M is the grandmother of X": X is the child of P and K. Since A is the only niece/female child in this generation, X must be a male (+).
3. Determining the Gender of Each Member:
- S: Male (+) [Husband of M]
- M: Female (-) [Wife of S]
- P: Female (-) [Daughter of S and M]
- K: Male (+) [Husband of P, Brother-in-law of B]
- B: Male (+) [Son of S and M]
- A: Female (-) [Niece of B, Daughter of P and K]
- X: Male (+) [Grandson of M, Son of P and K, Brother of A]
4. Counting Male Members:
The male members in the family are S, K, B, and X.
Therefore, there are a total of 4 male members in the family.
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