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Riddle: Can you keep the time?

You are a cook in a highway Inn with no clocks or other way of keeping time except for two hourglass time keepers

One of the hour glass has sand for four minutes i.e. you have to turn it over every four minutes and the other hourglass has seven minute worth sand.

You have a stove, however, with water in a pot already boiling.

A customer asks you for a nine-minute boiled egg, and you know this person is a perfectionist and will be able to tell if you undercook or overcook the eggs by even a few seconds.

How will you prepare it so that it is cooked in exactly 9 minutes, neither undercooked or overcooked?

5 Answers

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  • Jeff
    Lv 4
    10 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    1. start both timers

    2. after the 4 minute timer runs out start it over (4 mins. elapsed)

    3. after the 7 minute timer runs out start it over (7 mins. elapsed)

    4. after the 4 minute timer runs out start the 7 min. timer over (8 mins. elapsed, 1 minute of the 7 min. timer have elapsed)

    5. after the 7 minute timer runs out you're done (9 mins. elapsed)

  • 10 years ago

    Step 1: Start the 4 minute and the seven minute hourglass.

    Step 2: When the four minutes have run out, start it again. Step 3: The seven minutes hourglass will now run out and only

    one minute will be left in the 4 minute glass. We begin our timing at this stage.

    Step4: Let the remaining one minute left over in the four minute hourglass run out.

    Step 5: Run the four minute glass again. Five minutes have now elapsed.

    Step 6: Run the four minute glass again. Nine minutes have elapsed.

  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    since it take five minutes for water to boil put the eggs in for 4 minutes

  • ?
    Lv 4
    10 years ago

    Can you make the paragraph any shorter and any simpler? I got tired after reading the 2nd word

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  • 10 years ago

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