A man returned from his greenhouse with a small basket of cherries.

To his first friend he gave half his cherries, plus half a pair of cherries, to his second he gave half of what he had left, plus a half a pair of cherries, and to the third he gave half of what he had left, plus half a pair of cherries.

This meant he had no cherries left. How many did he start with?

• If it really is half a pair of cherries(one cherry), then answer is 14. If it is meant as half a cherry, then answer is 7.
• 15 years agoHelpfull: Yes(14) No(7)
• 14
• 15 years agoHelpfull: Yes(13) No(9)
• 12 will be the answer
• 12 years agoHelpfull: Yes(7) No(5)
• answer is 13
• 10 years agoHelpfull: Yes(3) No(2)
• 14 cherries to start with.
  
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(3) No(2)
• 14(14/2+1=8 remains 6,6/2+1=4 remains 2,2/2+1=2 remains 0)
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(1) No(0)
• he started with 14 cherries. If we take initial number as X.. then the equation that forms solves for X=14. (
  x/2+1) + [(x-(x/2+1))/2 + 1] + [((x/2-10)/2-1)/2 + 1] = x .
• 7 years agoHelpfull: Yes(0) No(0)