SOLUTION: Moe, Joe, and Hiram are brothers. One day, in some haste, they left home with each one wearing the hat and coat of one of the other. Joe was wearing Moe's coat and Hiram's hat. Wh

Question 789586: Moe, Joe, and Hiram are brothers. One day, in some haste, they left home with each one wearing the hat and coat of one of the other. Joe was wearing Moe's coat and Hiram's hat. Whose hat and coat was each one wearing?
Answer by KMST(5328) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
For a problem like this, you need to organize your thoughts in a table. Otherwise, it is very difficult to keep track of what you know and what you are figuring out.
The way you solve the problem could evolve as shown below, but you can get to the same result going through a different road.
The starting table could be Then,we start thinking.
What coat could Hiram be wearing?
We know he is not wearing his own coat.
He could not be wearing Moe's either, because Joe is wearing Moe's coat.
Hiram must be wearing Joe's coat.
Let's write that conclusion into the table.

What hat could Moe be wearing?
We know he is not wearing his own hat.
He could not be wearing Hiram's either, because Joe is wearing Hiram's hat.
Moe must be wearing Joe's hat.
Let's write that conclusion into the table.

What names could we use to replace the question marks?
We need to put names that are not already in the same column.
Our only choice is this:

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