Number of Chickens Sold

February 2, 2022

The Number of Chickens Sold

How many Chickens were sold by the farmers?

A farmer sold chickens to four different customers on a particular day. Where the number of chickens sold is unknown.

Premise – It was in a manner in which each customer purchased half of the remaining chickens and half a chicken more. Here, the number of chickens sold is unknown.

Hint – The fourth customer bought a single chicken.

Objective – Can you find out how many chickens were sold by the farmer on that day?

Solution to the Chicken Puzzle

As we know that the fourth customer bought only one chicken from the total lot of chickens. So here is the method to find the total number of chickens.
With the help of given information, we can form an equation where total number of chickens sold can be written as :-

Total = \frac{x}{2} + \frac{1}{2}       

As we already know that the fourth customer bought 1 chicken so the total = 1.
Now keeping the equation equals to 1, we can deduce x, which will be equal to 3.

Therefore, repeating the same method again and again we will reach the first customer. Therefore, the number of chickens bought by each one them is as follows:-

  1. The 1st customer bought  Total = \frac{15}{2} + \frac{1}{2} =  8 (leaving 7)
  2. The 2nd customer bought  Total = \frac{7}{2} + \frac{1}{2} = 4 (leaving 3)
  3. The 3rd customer bought  Total = \frac{3}{2} + \frac{1}{2}   = 2 (leaving 1)
  4. The 4th customer bought  Total = \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{2}   = 1

When we add the numbers, we get = 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 15.

Therefore, a total of 15 chickens were sold by the farmer on a particular day.

To practice more puzzles to master your interview preparation, visit our Top 100 puzzles page for interview preparation.

Solution to the Chicken Puzzle

As we know that the fourth customer bought only one chicken from the total lot of chickens. So here is the method to find the total number of chickens.
With the help of given information, we can form an equation where total number of chickens sold can be written as :-

Total = \frac{x}{2} + \frac{1}{2}       

As we already know that the fourth customer bought 1 chicken so the total = 1.
Now keeping the equation equals to 1, we can deduce x, which will be equal to 3.

Therefore, repeating the same method again and again we will reach the first customer. Therefore, the number of chickens bought by each one them is as follows:-

  1. The 1st customer bought 
    Total = \frac{15}{2} + \frac{1}{2} =  8 (leaving 7)
  2. The 2nd customer bought 
    Total = \frac{7}{2} + \frac{1}{2} = 4 (leaving 3)
  3. The 3rd customer bought 
    Total = \frac{3}{2} + \frac{1}{2}   = 2 (leaving 1)
  4. The 4th customer bought 
    Total = \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{2}   = 1

When we add the numbers, we get = 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 15.

Therefore, a total of 15 chickens were sold by the farmer on a particular day.

To practice more puzzles to master your interview preparation, visit our Top 100 puzzles page for interview preparation.

Top 100 Puzzles
Top 100 Puzzles