Question

Directions: A circular field, with inner radius of 10 meters and outer radius of 20 meters, was divided into five successive stages for ploughing. The ploughing of each stage was handed over to a different farmer.

1. Farmers are referred to by the symbols F1, F2, F3, F4, F5.
2. The points between different stages are referred to by the symbols P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, not necessarily in that order.
3. Farmer F5 was given the work of ploughing the stage starting at point P4.
4. The stage from point P5 to point P3 was not the first stage.
5. Farmer F4 was given the work of the fourth stage.
6. Stage 3 finished at point P1, and the work of which was not given to farmer F1.
7. Farmer F3 was given the work of the stage ending at point P5.

Which was the starting point for farmer F3?

• A. P2
• B. P3
• C. P4
• D. P1

Hint:

Clue 7 tells you F3's stage ends at P5. Once the loop of points is fixed using clues 6 and 4, read off the start of the stage that ends at P5.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

We can check each option directly against the fixed arrangement of points and clue 7, instead of re-deriving the whole loop step by step.

1. P2: Once the loop is fixed as stage 1 = P2 to P5, stage 2 = P5 to P3, stage 3 = P3 to P1, stage 4 = P1 to P4, stage 5 = P4 to P2, the stage ending at P5 (clue 7, F3's stage) is stage 1, which starts at P2. This matches.
2. P3: The stage starting at P3 is stage 3, which ends at P1, not P5, so this cannot be F3's stage.
3. P4: The stage starting at P4 is stage 5, which by clue 3 belongs to F5, not F3, so this is wrong.
4. P1: The stage starting at P1 is stage 4, which by clue 5 belongs to F4, not F3, so this is wrong.

Only P2 lines up with clue 7's requirement that F3's stage ends at P5.

Let's summarize:

• Clue 7 is the fastest way to pin F3's stage once the loop of points is known.
• Checking each option's stage against clue 7 avoids reworking the whole puzzle from scratch.

The correct answer is P2.