You've got someone working for you for seven days and a gold
bar to pay them. The gold bar is segmented into seven
connected pieces. You must give them a piece of gold at the
end of every day. If you are only allowed to make two breaks
in the gold bar, how do you pay your worker?

Answers were Sorted based on User's Feedback



You've got someone working for you for seven days and a gold bar to pay them. The gold bar is ..

Answer / viswanathan

There is a problem with asking the worker to break off 1
piece of the 7 pieces everyday till the completion of work
period, because the worker is being paid only for the work
he has done and would demand more pay if he is asked to do
some more work (i.e, to break off 1 piece of the seven
pieces everyday)so that solution is not feasible.

Is This Answer Correct ?    2 Yes 1 No

You've got someone working for you for seven days and a gold bar to pay them. The gold bar is ..

Answer / siddique

Abdul Aziz and Ben are mathematically correct (Ben giving
clear picture). Though this is not practical. You cannot
force the worker to store the given piece to return as and
when you want. I would rather prefer to give him 1, 2 and 4
pieces at the end of 1st, 3rd and 7th day. If you (or the
worker) still insist on giving him one piece at the end of
each day I have to break my head with that bar.

Is This Answer Correct ?    2 Yes 1 No

You've got someone working for you for seven days and a gold bar to pay them. The gold bar is ..

Answer / shailesh

as the question states it has 7 connected pieces so the measurement could be seen clearly
1. Break it in to two pieces.
the gold piece will be in to 4:3
2. Place the bar one over the other and break in again
the gold piece will be in 2:2:2:1
3. Now Place the gold bar one over the other and break only with two pieces joined leaving the piece with single
the gold pieces are divided in to 7 pieces

Is This Answer Correct ?    1 Yes 0 No

You've got someone working for you for seven days and a gold bar to pay them. The gold bar is ..

Answer / john

Take the gold bar to the bank & ask them to exchange it for
at least seven pieces of gold (the question only states
that you have the bar to pay them with, not that you have
to pay them the whole bar). Use these to pay the worker &
keep any change for your local landlord.

Is This Answer Correct ?    3 Yes 3 No

You've got someone working for you for seven days and a gold bar to pay them. The gold bar is ..

Answer / 3dgie

OK, now it comes solution from civilized country.


both 'John' & 'Observer' are right, but still - this is
mid-ages. Now the right solution in 21st century is to open
an account for worker (sure he might have one). And transfer
money through internet.

As you are limited to break a gold bar and you're not
likely to force your worker in breaking a gold bar - you
make wise decision to transfer the money he earned through
internet. Before that, you see gold price on a market and
see how much you do need to pay for your employee. You
should noticed that there is no single word pointing out
that worker is doing coal mining in some exotic country with
no civilization.

Is This Answer Correct ?    2 Yes 2 No

You've got someone working for you for seven days and a gold bar to pay them. The gold bar is ..

Answer / arun

You are allowed to make two breaks, but not your worker (its
not mentioned in the question).

Give the bar to the worker daily, so that he can break a
single piece every day and take.

Is This Answer Correct ?    0 Yes 0 No

You've got someone working for you for seven days and a gold bar to pay them. The gold bar is ..

Answer / mark l

You may break the bar in two places. It does not matter
where on the bar the breaks are made. As an example, you
break the bar into two paired segments and one segment of
three. At the end of day #1 you hand the employee any one of
the segments. They, in turn, break off a single segment,
their pay, and return to you the single segment (from a
paired segment) or a paired segment (from the segment of
three). If you do not wish to make the two "allowed" breaks,
you could let the employee break off one segment from the
bar each day.

Is This Answer Correct ?    1 Yes 1 No

You've got someone working for you for seven days and a gold bar to pay them. The gold bar is ..

Answer / balaji

first cut in the ratio 4,3,then place 3 above 4 and cut.Now
u'll have 1,2,2,2.

Day 1-give 1
Day 2-get 1 and give 2
Day 3-give 1
Day 4-get 1 and give 2
Day 5-give 1
Day 6-get 1 and give 2
Day 7-give 1

Is This Answer Correct ?    1 Yes 1 No

You've got someone working for you for seven days and a gold bar to pay them. The gold bar is ..

Answer / slb

Maybe I'm looking at it from the wrong way, but the problem
states that you can only make two breaks. Doesn't that mean
that I am permitted unlimited amounts of cutting?

Is This Answer Correct ?    0 Yes 0 No

You've got someone working for you for seven days and a gold bar to pay them. The gold bar is ..

Answer / scorpio

Number segments from 1-7.

Break the bar into small bars b1,b2 & b3 of size 2,2 and 3 respectively.
day1 segment 1 of b1 (bar b1 is broken once)
day2 segment 2 of b1
day3 segment 1 of b2 (bar b2 is broken once)
day4 segment 2 of b2
day5 segment 1 of b3 (bar b3 is broken 1st time)
day6 segment 2 of b3 (bar b3 is broken 2nd time)
day7 segment 3 of b3.

Thus giving segments with the condition of breaking only two times.

Is This Answer Correct ?    1 Yes 1 No

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