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Adam, Bob, and Charles want to lose weight so they can look their most fabulous for the [Adam, Bob and Charles dressed in bright purple and pink clothing]

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Mardi Gras drag parade.

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When they first got fitted for their purple-and-green feathered jumpsuits, Adam was heavier than [Adam, Bob and Charles being fitted for their costumes]

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Bob, who was heavier than Charles.

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If Adam loses forty pounds, Bob loses fifteen pounds, and Charles loses twenty-five pounds

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by Mardi Gras…

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… which of the following cannot be true of their weights on the big day?

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And here are the potential answers…

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Based on the wording of the question, any answer that might be true… is an incorrect

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answer.

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Starting from the bottom...

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For this example, we'll say that Adam weighed three-hundred pounds, Bob weighed one-hundred-ninety-nine [Adam, Bob and Charles in a line with their weights by their side]

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pounds and Charles weighed one-hundred-fifty pounds...

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After Adam loses forty pounds and Charles only loses twenty-five pounds, Charles will

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still weigh less than Adam...

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This situation could be true, so “E” is wrong.

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By the same logic, if Bob lost 15 pounds and Adam lost forty, Bob would still weigh less than Adam [Adam and Bob stood together with boards of their weight loss]

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So D is also wrong

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Now, consider a case where Adam only weighs one pound more than Bob at the start.[Adam and Bob on either side of a weighing scale]

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This satisfied the initial condition that Adam is heavier than Bob.

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However, after Adam loses forty pounds...

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…by taking off that giant beehive wig...

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…and Bob only loses fifteen pounds, Adam will weigh less than Bob. [Adam weighing less than Bob on the weighing scale]

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“C” is possible, and therefore…it’s not the choice we’re looking for.

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Similar to option “C”, consider a case where Adam is one pound heavier than Bob,

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who is one pound heavier than Charles.

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After Adam loses an insane forty pounds...

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Adam will now weigh less than both Bob and Charles.

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“B” is possible, and wrong [Answer B ruled out with a red cross]

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Finally, “A” must be the correct answer by process of elimination.

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Just to check… can this statement be proven false as well?

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Because Charles is losing more weight than Bob, and because he's already lighter, he

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can never end up heavier... so there you go.

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Now that this problem's solved, we're off to get more beads. [Adam Bob and Charles waving in their drag costumes]

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