CAT 2020 Slot 1 QA Question 16: A gentleman decided to treat a few children in the following manner. He gives half of his total stock of toffees and one extra to the first child, and then the half of the remaining stock along with o

Question

A gentleman decided to treat a few children in the following manner. He gives half of his total stock of toffees and one extra to the first child, and then the half of the remaining stock along with o

Accepted Answer

Work backwards from the end. If $r$ toffees are left after a child, then the number before that child was $2(r + 1)$.

After the 5th child, remaining = 0
Before the 5th child = $2(0 + 1) = 2$
Before the 4th child = $2(2 + 1) = 6$
Before the 3rd child = $2(6 + 1) = 14$
Before the 2nd child = $2(14 +