Problem:

A hospital has five floors numbered 1 to 5. You know the following: If there are more than 20 patients on a floor, that floor must have a nurse. There are exactly 100 patients in the hospital and only three nurses available. How do you ensure that all floors meet the hospital’s patient care standards?

Scroll to the bottom of the page for the answer

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Solution:

Place 20 patients on each of the first four floors and the remaining 20 patients on the fifth floor. Place one nurse on each of the top three floors. Floors with exactly 20 patients do not need a nurse according to the rule.