Logic Puzzles

3. The Boxes

There are three boxes. One is labeled "APPLES" another is labeled "ORANGES". The last one is labeled "APPLES AND ORANGES". You know that each is labeled incorrectly. You may ask me to pick one fruit from one box which you choose.

How can you label the boxes correctly?

Added 1 January 2007

Solution:

Pick from the one labeled "Apples & Oranges". This box must contain either only apples or only oranges.

E.g. if you find an Orange, label the box Orange, then change the Oranges box to Apples, and the Apples box to "Apples & Oranges."


Comments (20)

Anonymous 8 January 2009

You can start with any box. If you choose box A and it turns out to be box B, then box B must contain C and box C must contain A, since all boxes are incorrectly labeled.

Anonymous 17 April 2009

The 3 Boxes puzzle is not logical. If you take an apple from the 3rd box, you still do not know what is where. You would need to look at the entire contents of the Apples & Oranges box to be sure that it is labeled wrong.

Anonymous 24 January 2010

Hi, I was just wondering about this solution. A: Pick from the one labeled "Apples & Oranges". This box must contain either only apples or only oranges. E.g. if you find an Orange, label the box Orange, then change the Oranges box to Apples, and the Apples box to "Apples & Oranges" I mean you can't be sure that the oranges box contain apples..it can be apples and oranges?

Anonymous 8 April 2010

The solution for 'The Boxes' assumes that the labeling mistake occurred without checking the contents. Therefore, the boxes labeled 'Apples' and 'Oranges' could contain either apples or oranges, and the box labeled 'Apples & Oranges' must contain the other fruit.

Anonymous 9 May 2010

I think I spotted an error at Very Easy Logical Problems n.3-The Boxes. The answer states to pick from the one labeled "Apples & Oranges". If you find an Orange, label the box Orange, then change the Oranges box to Apples, and the Apples box to "Apples & Oranges". I can't see the reason why you rule out the...

Anonymous 9 May 2010

There seems to be an error in the solution for 'The Boxes'. The reasoning for labeling the boxes is unclear, particularly regarding the 'Oranges' box. It could potentially be 'Apples' or 'Apples & Oranges'.

Anonymous 5 August 2010

The puzzle about the baby falling from the window is not understood.

Anonymous 28 December 2010

Just because the Apples & Oranges box contains an Orange, does not then mean that the Apples box contains Oranges. It could contain Apples & Oranges.

Anonymous 28 December 2010

The Apple & Oranges box containing an Orange does not imply that the Apple box contains Oranges; it could contain Apples & Oranges.

Anonymous 5 February 2011

The answer to the riddle about the bus stop is that the driver could be giving a ride to a loved one, or they could be in a situation where they cannot stop.

Anonymous 2 July 2011

The question about the bobber needs rephrasing. If you are traveling upstream, you are going against the current, which affects your paddle speed. The question should be changed to downstream to match the answer.

Anonymous 18 June 2012

In #3, The Boxes, it says the solution is to pick from the one labeled "Apples & Oranges". But then why can't you label the Oranges box to "Apples and Oranges" instead? Can't it work both ways?

Anonymous 18 June 2012

The solution for 'The Boxes' suggests picking from the box labeled 'Apples & Oranges'. However, why can't the box labeled 'Oranges' be labeled 'Apples and Oranges' instead? Can't it work both ways?

Anonymous 2 September 2012

The puzzle about the boxes is interesting, but I believe the solution can be approached differently. If you open the box labeled 'both' and find an apple, you can deduce the contents of the other boxes more efficiently.

Anonymous 21 April 2013

I contest that either of our remaining boxes are equally likely to be the "A + O" box. There is not enough information to decide which of the two courses is correct.

Anonymous 2 September 2015

I think your puzzle "the boxes" has an incorrect solution: All boxes incorrectly labeled. Picking either Apples or Oranges works, as does the box with both.

Anonymous 2 September 2015

The solution for 'The Boxes' seems incorrect. If all boxes are incorrectly labeled, then the contents can be deduced by picking from one box. The logic shows that if 'Box A' contains oranges, then 'Box O' must contain both apples and oranges, and 'Box A+O' must contain apples.

Anonymous 29 March 2016

In the 'Very Easy' section, check if the label is 'Apples and Oranges' or 'Apples or Oranges'. The solution will be correct if the label is 'Apples or Oranges'.

Anonymous 29 May 2016

The answer to puzzle number 3 seems to arise from a heuristic, but there is also a deeper explanation. Considering all possibilities, the reasoning could be clearer for those attempting to solve it.

Anonymous 10 June 2016

Number 3 is incorrect. The captain and second mate would always be killed because the pirates value bloodshed. The third mate could stay alive by giving the coin to either the 4th mate or the fifth mate.

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