Problem 10 · 2022 Math Kangaroo
Medium
Logic & Word Problems
spatial-reasoning
Five big and four small elephants are marching along a path in single file. Because the path is narrow, the elephants cannot change their order. At the fork in the path, each elephant goes either to the right or to the left. Which of the following situations cannot happen?
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Answer: C
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Hint 1 of 2
The elephants keep their original order; they can only split left or right at the fork, not pass each other.
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Hint 2 of 2
Check each picture: the order along each branch must still match the single-file order.
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Approach: check that order is preserved on both branches
- Because no elephant can overtake another, both branches must show the elephants in their original order.
- Test each option against that rule.
- Only option C breaks the order, so that arrangement cannot happen.
- So the answer is C.
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