A shopkeeper divides an ice-cream brick in two halves, then cuts one of the halves into...
IBM technical mcq question, verified with a worked answer. Free to practise - no sign-up.
A shopkeeper divides an ice-cream brick in two halves, then cuts one of the halves into several smaller portions of equal size. Each of the smaller portions weighs 12 grams. The shopkeeper now has a total of 5 portions (4 small portions and 1 large half). How heavy was the original brick?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D. 96 grams
One half of the brick is cut into 4 equal portions of 12 grams each, so that half weighs 4 × 12 = 48 grams. Since this represents half the original brick, the full brick weighs 48 × 2 = 96 grams.
Step-by-step Derivation:
Step 1: Identify what we know.
- 4 small portions of 12 grams each
- 1 large half (the uncut portion)
- Total of 5 portions
Step 2: Calculate the weight of the cut half.
- Weight of cut half = 4 portions × 12 grams/portion = 48 grams
Step 3: Recognize that the cut half equals the uncut half.
- Original brick = 2 × (weight of one half) = 2 × 48 = 96 grams
Step 4: Verify.
- Half 1 (cut into 4 portions): 4 × 12 = 48 grams
- Half 2 (uncut): 48 grams
- Total: 96 grams ✓