Direction: Read the following information carefully and answer the questions…
2025
Direction: Read the following information carefully and answer the questions based on given information.
Six boxes J, L, N, Q, R and V placed one over another and contain six different colours which are Blue, Green, Pink, Red, White and Yellow but not necessarily in same order. Box L placed four boxes above the box which contains Pink colour. Only two boxes are placed between the box contains White colour and Box N, neither of them placed at top or bottom positions. Box V placed just above the box which contains Red colour. As many boxes placed above the box contains Green colour as many below the box J. The box contains Red colour and the box contains Pink colour placed adjacent to each other. Box Q placed below the Box L but likes neither Yellow nor Blue colour. Neither V nor R likes Green or White colour. The box contains Blue colour is placed below the box that contains Yellow colour.
How many boxes are placed between the Box L and the box R?
- A.
As many boxes placed below the box J.
- B.
As many boxes placed above the box Q.
- C.
As many boxes placed below the box that contains Red colour.
- D.
As many boxes placed between the Box V and the Box N.
- E.
None of these.
Attempted by 2 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept
In a floor or level based (vertical stacking) arrangement, each position is a fixed slot — take top = 1 through bottom = 6. Every clue about "above / below / adjacent / gap" converts directly into an arithmetic relationship between two position numbers, and a clue that fixes a difference (such as "four boxes above") pins down two positions at once. Solve by turning each clue into such a relationship and eliminating branches until exactly one consistent arrangement survives.
Application
Box L sits four positions above the Pink box, so only two starting placements are possible: L at position 1 with Pink at position 5, or L at position 2 with Pink at position 6.
Testing L at position 2 (Pink at position 6): Red must be adjacent to Pink, so Red is at position 5, and Box V (placed just above Red) is at position 4. The White-colour/Box-N gap-of-three rule then only fits positions 2 and 5, and since position 2 already holds Box L, Box N cannot sit there — so White is at position 2 (Box L itself) and Box N is at position 5 (Red colour). The Green-colour rule ('boxes above Green' equals 'boxes below Box J') then balances only at Green = position 1 with Box J = position 6, or Green = position 4 with Box J = position 3; Box V at position 4 is barred from Green, ruling out the second pairing, so Green = position 1 and Box J = position 6. Box Q must then sit below Box L at the only position left below it, position 3, leaving Box R at position 1 — but position 1 carries Green colour, and Box R is barred from Green. This branch fails.
So Box L is at position 1 and Pink is at position 5. Testing Red at position 6 forces Box V (placed just above Red) into position 5, the Pink box itself. The White-colour/Box-N gap-of-three rule would then need Box N at position 5 too — a collision with Box V — or White at position 5, which clashes with the Pink colour already fixed there. Both alternatives fail, so Red is at position 4 instead, and Box V is at position 3.
The White-colour/Box-N gap-of-three rule now fits only at Box N = position 5 (White = position 2), since Box N at position 2 would force White to position 5, clashing with the Pink colour already fixed there. So White is at position 2 and Box N is at position 5 — meaning Box N itself carries Pink colour.
The Green-colour rule balances only at Green = position 1 with Box J = position 6, or Green = position 3 with Box J = position 4; Box V at position 3 is barred from Green, ruling out the second pairing. So Green = position 1 and Box J = position 6.
With L, V, N and J placed, Boxes R and Q fill positions 4 and 2. Position 2 carries White colour, and Box R is barred from White, so Box R takes position 4 (Red colour) and Box Q takes position 2 (White colour) — consistent with Box Q disliking Yellow and Blue.
Only Blue and Yellow remain, for positions 3 and 6. Since the Blue box lies below the Yellow box, Yellow is at position 3 and Blue is at position 6.
Cross-check
The completed arrangement:
Position (top to bottom) | Box | Colour |
|---|---|---|
1 | L | Green |
2 | Q | White |
3 | V | Yellow |
4 | R | Red |
5 | N | Pink |
6 | J | Blue |
This satisfies every clue: L is four above Pink (1 and 5); White and Box N are three apart with neither at an end (2 and 5); Box V sits just above Red (3 and 4); the boxes above Green (0) equal the boxes below Box J (0); Red and Pink are adjacent (4 and 5); Box Q is below Box L and holds neither Yellow nor Blue; Box V and Box R hold neither Green nor White; and the Blue box (6) is below the Yellow box (3).
Result
Box L is at position 1 and Box R is at position 4, so positions 2 and 3 — two boxes — lie between them. The same count appears elsewhere in the arrangement: the box holding Red colour is at position 4, and exactly two boxes (positions 5 and 6) lie below it, so that description matches the two boxes separating L and R.