How can you use a simple balance three times to determine which coin is counterfeit?
You have twelve coins, one of which is a counterfeit and weighs less than the legal coins. How can you use a simple balance three times to determine which coin is a counterfeit?
Related posts:
- You are given twelve gold coins and a simple balance scale. One of the coins is counterfeit.? You are given twelve gold coins and a simple balance scale. One of the coins is counterfeit, but it is not known whether it is lighter or heavier than the...
- I WILL GIVE 10 POINTS TO ANYONE WHO CAN ANSWER THIS SIMPLE COUNTERFEIT COIN QUESTION CORRECTLY? You have 12 identicle looking coins but one is actually counterfeit. The coin that is counterfeit is either HEAVIER or LIGHTER than the other 11 coins that all weigh the...
- I WILL GIVE 10 POINTS TO ANYONE THAT CAN ANSWER THIS SIMPLE BUT CHALLENGING COUNTERFEIT COIN PROBLEM CORRECTLY? You have 12 identicle looking coins but one is actually counterfeit. The coin that is counterfeit is either HEAVIER or LIGHTER than the other 11 coins that all weigh the...
- What is the smallest number of weighings needed to determine which of the stacks is counterfeit? There are 10 stacks of coins, each consisting of 10 silver dollars. One entire stack is counterfeit. but you do not know which one. You do know the weight of...
- U have 16 coins & a balance. 15 of the coins are regular & 1 is a lighter counterfeit coin. Explain how u coul? You have 16 coins and a balance. Fifteen of the coins are regular, and one is a lighter counterfeit coin. Explain how you could identify the counterfeit coin after the...
You made it easy by saying that the coin is lighter.
You simply
1. put 6 coins on each side of the balance and see which side is lighter
2. take the 6 coins from the lighter side and arrange 3 on each side of the balance.
3. take the 3 coins from the lighter side once again, and put 1 coin on each side (doesn’t matter which of those coins you pick)
A. if the 2 coins are the same weight, then the third one is the counterfeit
B. if one of the coins is lighter, the lighter coin is the counterfeit!
done!