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UPSC 2009: There are four persons A, B, C, D; and A has some coins. A gave half of the coins to B and 4 more besides. B gave half of the coins to C and 4 more besides. C gave half of the coins to D and 4 more besides. Both B and D end up with same number of coins. How many coins did A have originally?
(a)96
(b)84
(c)72
(d)64
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Not attemptedCorrect Answer: (c) 72
Let A begin with x coins. Transfers give: B receives x⁄2 + 4, leaving A with x⁄2 − 4; B then gives C (x⁄2 + 4)/2 + 4 = x⁄4 + 6, leaving B with x⁄4 − 2; C gives D x⁄8 + 7, leaving C with x⁄8 − 1; D now has x⁄8 + 7. Setting B’s remainder equal to D’s total (x⁄4 − 2 = x⁄8 + 7) yields x = 72, so option (c) is correct. Other options fail to satisfy the equality condition. ([selfstudyhistory.com](https://selfstudyhistory.com/2015/04/12/prelims-ias-general-studies-solved-paper-with-explanations-2009-part-2/))
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the correct answer to this UPSC 2009 Science & Technology question?▼
The correct answer is option (c): 72. Watch the detailed video explanation in our Sherlocking Prelims course on UnlockIAS.
Which year was this Quantitative Aptitude question asked in UPSC Prelims?▼
This question was asked in UPSC CSE Prelims 2009, GS Paper 1, as Question 99. It falls under Science & Technology > Quantitative Aptitude.
What is the difficulty level of this UPSC question?▼
This question is rated "difficult". It is a challenging question that demands deep subject knowledge and analytical thinking.
How many UPSC Prelims questions have been asked from Quantitative Aptitude?▼
UPSC has asked 178 questions from Quantitative Aptitude (under Science & Technology) across multiple years. Visit the topic page to see the full list and year-wise trends.