Latest Capgemini Aptitude Question SOLUTION: A thief steals half the total no of loaves of bread plus 1/2 loaf from a bakery. A second thief steals half the remaining no of loaves plus 1/2 loaf and so on. After the 5th thief

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(#M40012204) CAPGEMINI Numerical Ability question Keep an EYE

A thief steals half the total no of loaves of bread plus 1/2
loaf from a bakery. A second thief steals half the remaining
no of loaves plus 1/2 loaf and so on. After the 5th thief
has stolen there are no more loaves left in the bakery. What
was the total no of loaves did the bakery have at the beginning

Asked In Capgemini ram (11 years ago)

Unsolved Read Solution (6)

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Read Solution (6) :

jomon v j  (11 years ago)

answer 31

after the 5th = 0
before 5 th =1
before 4th =3
before 3rd =7
before 2nd =15
before 1st = 31

Is this solution Helpfull? Yes (40) | No (31)  

natchatra  (10 years ago)

ANS:31

let y be the total number of loaves
a be the remaining loaves after 1st thief
b be the remaining loaves after 2nd thief
e = 0 be the remaining loaves after 5th thief
a = y - (y/2 + 1/2)
= y/2 - 1/2
b = a - (a/2 + 1/2)
= a/2 - 1/2
c = b - (b/2 + 1/2)
= b/2 - 1/2
d = c - (c/2 + 1/2)
= c/2 - 1/2
e = d - (d/2 + 1/2)
= d/2 - 1/2
wkt, e = 0,
thus by subs,
d = 1
c = 3
b = 7
a = 15
y = 31

Is this solution Helpfull? Yes (32) | No (3)  

atul dikshit  (11 years ago)

x=31,they are stealing in amount,(x+1)/2,(x+1)/4,....(x+1)/32,add them and substract it from total x..

Is this solution Helpfull? Yes (16) | No (10)  

Sanjeet Bahadur  (11 years ago)

answer is 15 as frst theif will tak 1/2t+1/2 second will tak 1/4t+1/4...so on ffth will take 1/32t+1/32...adding and subtracting to t..we get t =15

Is this solution Helpfull? Yes (1) | No (26)  

varun  (8 years ago)

plz check yours ans its 31

Is this solution Helpfull? Yes (1) | No   

Suman  (7 years ago)

Let the total no. of loaf be x.

So, the 1st thief stole (x/2 + 1/2) = ( x+1)/2
The second thief stole ((x+1)/2)/2 + 1/2 = (x+3)/4
The third thief stole (x+7)/8 and so on.

As there is no bread left after the fifth thief,
hence, the equation becomes

(x+1)/2 + (x+3)/4 + (x+7)/8 + (x+15)/16 + (x+31)/32 = x
or, (31x+129)/32 = x
or, x = 129 (ans)

Is this solution Helpfull? Yes (1) | No (4)  

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