In a race, a competitor has to collect 6 apples which are kept in a straight line on a track and a bucket is placed at the beginning of the track which is a starting point. The condition is that the competitor can pick only one apple at a time, run back with it and drop it in the bucket. If he has to drop all the apples in the bucket, how much total distance he has to run if the bucket is 5 meters from the first apple and all other apples are placed 3 meters apart?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) 150 m
The apples lie 5, 8, 11, 14, 17 and 20 m from the bucket, and he must run to each and back. The total is 2 × (5 + 8 + 11 + 14 + 17 + 20) = 2 × 75 = 150 m.
- Distances from the bucket: 5, 8, 11, 14, 17 and 20 m.
- Each apple needs a run there and back: 2 × distance.
- Total = 2 × (5 + 8 + 11 + 14 + 17 + 20) = 2 × 75 = 150 m.
Remember · One-at-a-time fetching doubles every distance; add the distances as a series (number of terms × average).
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·