Water Tank Puzzle (from the movie “Die Hard”)

WATER TANK PUZZLE – Here’s to “warm up the engines” a nice puzzle taken from a very successful action film of the 80s. A puzzle is a type of intellectual problem or puzzle that requires ingenuity and logical solution to solve. These puzzles are often presented in the form of games, puzzles or complex situations that challenge the mind and require cunning reasoning. The goal of the puzzles is to entertain, stimulate the mind and improve problem solving skills.

They can vary in complexity, from simple mathematical challenges to more intricate puzzles involving logic, deduction and creativity. Puzzles are popular as an intellectual pastime and are present in many forms, including books, board games, and apps.

Die Hard

Die Hard – Crystal Trap” is a 1988 action thriller that follows police officer John McClane as he fights a group of terrorists who have taken hostage in a skyscraper. Played by Bruce Willis, McClane finds himself trapped and uses his cunning to defeat the villains, led by the charismatic Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). With a compelling storyline, intense action scenes and memorable dialogues, the film has become a classic of the genre, appreciated for Willis’ performance and his anti-hero approach, helping to redefine 1980s action cinema.

water tanks puzzle
water tanks puzzle

The Enigma of Water Tanks

Emma has finished streaming the beautiful movie with Bruce Willis entitled “Die Hard – Die Hard”. In one of the scenes, John McClane has to defuse a bomb by putting exactly 4 litres of water on a scale with only two jerrycans: (A) 5 litres and (B) 3 litres.

Conditions: You do not have measured glasses, teaspoons or other containers or measuring instruments. You only have one water source (a reed or a tap) and the two cans (A) and (B).

Question: How does John McClane defuse the bomb by putting a tank containing exactly 4 litres of water on the scale?

Have fun.

(At the bottom of the page you find the solution)


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Solution

Solution of Water Tank Puzzle
Solution of Water Tank Puzzle

Explanation of operations

  1. I fill the tank (A)
  2. I fill the tank (B) using (A) water
  3. Empty the tank (B)
  4. Fill the tank (B) with the water left in the tank (A)
  5. I fill the tank (A)
  6. I fill the tank (B) using (A) water

At this point in the tank (A) there are exactly 4 liters of water and you have solved the problem of Bruce Willis!


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