A Winchester grocer has three pails:
an empty pail that holds 5 liters,
an empty pail that holds 3 liters,
and an 8-liter pail that is filled with apple
cider.
Show how the grocer can measure exactly
4 liters of apple cider with the help of the
5-liter and 3-liter pails.
Solution to Problem: Make a table to show how the grocer could do the division:
| 3-liter Pail | 5-liter Pail | 8-liter Pail |
| 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 0 | 5 | 3 |
| 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 1 | 5 | 2 |
| 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | 1 | 4 |
Annie Giercyk of Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania sent in a more efficient solution to the problem:
| 3-liter Pail | 5-liter Pail | 8-liter Pail |
| 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 0 | 5 | 3 |
| 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 0 | 4 | 4 |
Correctly solved by:
| 1. Wes Blackwell | Newport, RI |
| 1. Brandon Mantoya | Newport, RI |
| 3. Liz Cotter | Centreville, VA |
| 4. Clark Nesselrodt | Winchester, VA |
| 5. Ginger Anderson | Winchester, VA |
| 6. Matt Miller | Winchester, VA |
| 7. Chad McDaniel | Winchester, VA |
| 8. Trey Genda | Winchester, VA |
| 9. Paul Carpenter | Winchester, VA |
| 10. Annie Giercyk | Bethlehem, PA |