For Tourists!

I was in my car the other day, and a thought randomly popped into my head: what would I do if Simon Gruber called and told me that if I didn't put exactly 4 gallons of water into a jug and put it on a scale within a predetermined amount of time, a bomb would go off and innocent people would die? Mr. Gruber has been kind enough to leave me with a 3 gallon jug, a 5 gallon jug and a limitless supply of water. This is a question which torments my very soul me every time I see Die Hard: With a Vengeance. Every time I see that movie, I have to figure out again how Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson solve that problem. Even as they're doing it right in front of me, I have to pause the DVD and figure it out for myself. So I'm doing myself the service if writing it down here, for the whole world to see. You're welcome.

1. Fill the 5 gallon jug exactly to the top
2. Fill the 3 gallon jug exactly to the top, using the water you just put into the 5 gallon jug.
3. Dump the water out of the 3 gallon jug, leaving exactly 2 gallons in the 5 gallon jug.
4. Pour the 2 gallons from the 5 gallon jug to the 3 gallon jug, leaving exactly 1 gallon of air in the 3 gallon jug.
5. Fill the 5 gallon jug exactly to the top.
6. Fill the 3 gallon jug the rest of the way to the top using water from the 5 gallon jug. This will leave exactly 4 gallons in the 5 gallon jug.
7. With less than 3 seconds left on the timer (for dramatic effect) place the jug on the scale. You've stopped the bomb and saved countless lives.
8. Consider yourself a hero.