Author Topic: Difficult Puzzle  (Read 13725 times)

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Offline Sidoh

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Difficult Puzzle
« on: August 08, 2005, 10:26:22 pm »
Due to popular demand, I've re-phrased this question.

Each of 10 large barrels is filled with golf balls that all look alike. 

The balls in nine of the barrels weigh 30,000 mg and the balls in one of the barrels weigh 30,001 mg. 

With only one weighing session on a scale that indicates the exact weight -- a digital scale, if you will -- of the mass it is weighing, how can you determine which barrel contains the heavier golf balls?


Hints!

You can do anything you want with the barrels or their contents before weighing them, but you won't be able to tell which one is heavier just by lifting them.

You're not required to weigh a barrel. You can weigh anything, but only once!

This is not a trick question. And yes, the answer involves weighing something on the scale!
« Last Edit: August 09, 2005, 02:39:36 am by Sidoh »

Offline Ergot

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2005, 10:28:30 pm »
Umm, you put one on the scale and see if it's 2 ounces? If not take it off and put another? (Sister)
Who gives a damn? I fuck sheep all the time.
And yes, male both ends.  There are a couple lesbians that need a two-ended dildo...My router just refuses to wear a strap-on.
(05:55:03) JoE ThE oDD: omfg good job i got a boner thinkin bout them chinese bitches
(17:54:15) Sidoh: I love cosmetology

Offline Sidoh

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2005, 10:34:29 pm »
No! :P
« Last Edit: August 08, 2005, 11:55:23 pm by Sidoh »

Offline Ergot

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2005, 10:40:27 pm »
REPHRASE THEN! Crash them together. The one with the 2 ounce would be less inert therefore pushing the lighter ones back, then I would put the winner on the scale!
Who gives a damn? I fuck sheep all the time.
And yes, male both ends.  There are a couple lesbians that need a two-ended dildo...My router just refuses to wear a strap-on.
(05:55:03) JoE ThE oDD: omfg good job i got a boner thinkin bout them chinese bitches
(17:54:15) Sidoh: I love cosmetology

Offline Ergot

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2005, 11:07:11 pm »
Thanks to http://www.streetdrugs.org/pdf/street_terms.pdf

The 2 ounce golf balls would have more cocaine.
Who gives a damn? I fuck sheep all the time.
And yes, male both ends.  There are a couple lesbians that need a two-ended dildo...My router just refuses to wear a strap-on.
(05:55:03) JoE ThE oDD: omfg good job i got a boner thinkin bout them chinese bitches
(17:54:15) Sidoh: I love cosmetology

Offline iago

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2005, 11:11:59 pm »
I figured it out, but I'm not going to post it here.  Sidoh knows I figured it out, though :)
« Last Edit: August 08, 2005, 11:55:58 pm by Sidoh »

Offline Sidoh

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2005, 11:15:17 pm »
iago wins the puzzle crown! ^_^


Offline Sidoh

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2005, 11:29:53 pm »
I've done some cleaning up in this thread. Two pages gets annoying in these things. :D
« Last Edit: August 08, 2005, 11:45:41 pm by Sidoh »

Offline Joe

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #8 on: August 09, 2005, 02:21:15 am »
Select a random bucket, take it to the local golf course, and sell it.

With the money you've made, go buy a scale that doesn't break after one use.

With your new scale, weigh all of the buckets.

If one is heavier, thats the one. If their all the same, you sold the one.

G_G.

EDIT -
After using a scale, all the scales in the world break. Damn it, Sidoh. =/
I'd personally do as Joe suggests

You might be right about that, Joe.


Offline Sidoh

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #9 on: August 09, 2005, 02:22:34 am »
Cheater. You fail.

And how would you tell which one is heavier if there are nine of them on the scale?

Offline Joe

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #10 on: August 09, 2005, 02:23:11 am »
Weigh them one by one. Remember what you said on MSN? I can use sticky notes to take down their weight.
I'd personally do as Joe suggests

You might be right about that, Joe.


Offline Joe

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #11 on: August 09, 2005, 02:24:20 am »
If we can do anything we want with the buckets and their contents, I take all the buckets, toss them into my pickup truck (ok, fine, I'll have to use Newbys) and take them to the local golf course. I find some idiot with too much time on his hands, and I have HIM lift them up and tell me which is the heaviest.
I'd personally do as Joe suggests

You might be right about that, Joe.


Offline Sidoh

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #12 on: August 09, 2005, 02:25:32 am »
Nope. You can only use the scale to weigh something ONCE.

And no. That's a lame answer. I like Ergot's cocaine one better.

Offline Newby

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #13 on: August 09, 2005, 02:30:27 am »
So wait, you can only use the scale once, or you can weigh each barrel only once?
- Newby
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Quote
[17:32:45] * xar sets mode: -oooooooooo algorithm ban chris cipher newby stdio TehUser tnarongi|away vursed warz
[17:32:54] * xar sets mode: +o newby
[17:32:58] <xar> new rule
[17:33:02] <xar> me and newby rule all

I'd bet that you're currently bloated like a water ballon on a hot summer's day.

That analogy doesn't even make sense.  Why would a water balloon be especially bloated on a hot summer's day? For your sake, I hope there wasn't too much logic testing on your LSAT. 

Offline Sidoh

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Re: Difficult Puzzle
« Reply #14 on: August 09, 2005, 02:32:17 am »
You can only use the scale once.

Quote
With only one weighing session