1994
Pancake-Eating Contest
July 1994

“Pancake-Eating Contest,” Friend, July 1994, 14

Pancake-Eating Contest

By Rosie Centrone

Four boys (Joey, Kenny, Paul, Sam) and three girls (Judy, Patty, Susan) entered a pancake-eating contest. Based on the clues below, how many pancakes did each contestant eat?

  1. Patty and Sam ate the same number of pancakes.

  2. Paul ate as many pancakes as all three girls combined.

  3. Susan ate three times as many pancakes as Judy, but only half as many as Kenny, who ate one less than Paul.

  4. Joey ate twice as many pancakes as Sam.

  5. Judy was full after eating only four pancakes.

Answers:

  • Judy ate 4 pancakes (Clue 5), so Susan ate 12, Kenny ate 24, and Paul ate 25 (all Clue 3). Then Patty must have eaten 9 (Clue 2), and so did Sam (Clue 1). Therefore Joey ate 18 pancakes (Clue 4).