Coffee puzzle leaves Twitter totally stumped – which cup would be filled up first?

Daily Mail ^ | 10 November 2017 | Bianca London

[Wilderness Conservative]

People never look close. 5 is the cup that will get anything.

[sneakers]

5

[jpsb]

Yes 9

[freedom1st]

Bingo

[Bryanw92]

>>Scary that it took 24 posts before someone got it right.

I noticed that too. I guess the coffee drinkers needed their coffee first.

[MD Expat in PA]

So I’m not an engineer or an expert in fluid dynamics, but this is what I’m seeing.

The tubes leading to the vessel on the left will fill first because it is at the lowest point, but because the tube leading to the tube to cup 4 is blocked cup 4 will not get any coffee. And the vessel on the left will fill until it reaches the tube to cup 9 but that is also blocked so no coffee in cup 9.

Then the coffee in the main vessel will reach the higher tube to the upper and lower vessels on the right. The tube to cup 7 is lower and will fill first but it is also blocked so no coffee for cup 7.

After the blocked tube to cup 7 is filled and the level rises to the tube to leading to cup 5 is reached, eventually cup 5 will get the coffee.

But here’s the thing. The tube coming off the vessel on the right has a 90-degree angle to a tube of a much smaller diameter, so I would suspect, depending on the volume and rate of coffee being poured in at the top, that it might overflow at the top before it actually fills cup 5.

Am I wrong? Are there any engineers or plumbers here that can weigh in?

[mountn man]

Only 5

[WildHighlander57]

Aaaargh, #9 is blocked; didn’t notice....

So it’s #5.

Too early in the morning; need coffee....

[Dusty Road]

It can only be number #5, but is there enough coffee in the jug to fill it up? When you look at the volume that has to be filled before it gets to #5 it’s questionable.

[mountn man]

I've seen several different variants of this with MUCH harder configurations. I have no idea why this one would leave Twitter "stumped".

Two many twits on twitter, tweeting away twhile life twizzes by them.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks mairdie, hilarious when most of us get pantsed like that. “How many of each animal did Moses take on the Ark?” “Plane crashes on the US-Mexico border, where do they bury the survivors?” Congratulations Mercat, cincinnati65, DoubleNickle, William of Barsoom, Ouderkirk, Arm_Bears, xp38, ctdonath2, Alberta’s Child, HangnJudge, and piroque.

[Daffynition]

Shame on you!

[MarDav]

All of the cups have blocks except 5, so...

[MD Expat in PA]

Some plumbers could also be crack detectives. : )

[TNoldman]

No - 9.

[MD Expat in PA]

Ha! You and I think alike.

[bgill]

Easy. My coffee cup.

[edzo4]

Also the pipe to the left is lower the coffee would continue to flow to the left and never reach the right side

[mairdie]

Brilliant!

[Daffynition]

Like you, most have a good sense of humor.