Problem 11 · Extreme cases · 3 points
Made by AI and not reviewed by a real person.
Five tiny dragon nests can each hold at most 3 shiny pebbles. A dragon puts 13 pebbles in the nests; what is the smallest possible number of nests holding exactly 3 pebbles?
- 1
- 4
- 2
- 3
- 5
Show a hint
- Try filling as few nests as possible with 3 pebbles.
Show the answer and solution
Answer: D — 3
If only 2 nests held 3 pebbles, the other 3 could hold at most 2 each, for a total of 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 12. So 2 is a tempting but incorrect choice. Three nests can hold 3 pebbles each and the other two can hold 2 each, making 13. The answer is 3.