Study the following information carefully and answer the question given below.…
2025
Study the following information carefully and answer the question given below.
Seven boxes A, B, C, D, E, F and G are placed one above the other. All are of different colours, viz. Yellow, Brown, Pink, Green, Red, Black and Blue, but not necessarily in the same order. Each box contains a different item, viz. Balls, Pencils, Chocolate, Juice, Berry, Toys and Bottles, but not necessarily in the same order.
Box A is placed three places above the brown-coloured box. More than three boxes are placed between box B and the yellow-coloured box. The blue-coloured box is placed below the box that contains Bottles and above the box that contains Balls. The box that contains Chocolate is placed just above box B. Two boxes are placed between box B and box E, which contains Juice. Box C is of red colour and is placed two places above box E. The brown-coloured box contains Pencils, but it is not box B. Box F is placed above the yellow-coloured box. The black-coloured box contains Toys and is placed below box D. The green-coloured box contains Berry.
If box A and box E are interchanged with each other, then how many boxes are placed above box A?
- A.
Four
- B.
Five
- C.
Three
- D.
Two
- E.
None of these
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept
In a vertical stacking (floor) puzzle, every clue fixes a box's level relative to others. 'X places above' means there are exactly (X-1) boxes strictly between them, while 'more than three boxes between' means at least four boxes lie strictly between the two positions. We pin the most rigid distance clues first, then layer the colour and item clues until a single stack survives.
Application
Number the levels 1 (bottom) to 7 (top). The distance clues that anchor everything:
Box C (red) is two places above box E, so C and E differ by 2 levels.
Two boxes lie between B and E (which has Juice), so B and E differ by 3 levels.
The Chocolate box is just above B, so B is not at the top.
Box A is three places above the brown box (which holds Pencils and is not B).
More than three boxes lie between B and the yellow box, and box F is above the yellow box.
Solving these together forces a unique stack (top to bottom):
Level | Box | Colour | Item |
|---|---|---|---|
7 (top) | A | Pink | Chocolate |
6 | B | Green | Berry |
5 | C | Red | Bottles |
4 | D | Brown | Pencils |
3 | E | Blue | Juice |
2 | F | Black | Toys |
1 (bottom) | G | Yellow | Balls |
Answering the question
Originally box A is at the top (level 7) and box E is at level 3. Interchanging A and E moves box A down to level 3.
The boxes now above level 3 are at levels 4, 5, 6 and 7 — that is box D, box C, box B and box E (which has moved to the top). That makes four boxes above box A.
Cross-check
Count the other way: A sits at level 3, and 7 minus 3 equals 4 levels remaining above it, confirming four boxes lie above box A.