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A new mind twister

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  • T Thomas Freudenberg

    Do you want the answer? I've been confronted with this problem last week. Regards Thomas Finally with Sonork id: 100.10453 Thömmi


    Disclaimer:
    Because of heavy processing requirements, we are currently using some of your unused brain capacity for backup processing. Please ignore any hallucinations, voices or unusual dreams you may experience. Please avoid concentration-intensive tasks until further notice. Thank you.

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    DRHuff
    wrote on last edited by
    #3

    No I have the answer around here somewhere - I had to write it down to remember it. Did you figure it out? Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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    • D DRHuff

      You have 12 balls - one of which is either lighter or heavier than the others. Using a balance scale determine the odd ball and whether it is heavy or light in 3 weighings. This is much more difficult than it first appears. Have fun. Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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      James T Johnson
      wrote on last edited by
      #4

      If it weren't for that lighter or heavier its easy ;P But I've been up far too long to be able to think fo the answer :) James Simplicity Rules!

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      • D DRHuff

        No I have the answer around here somewhere - I had to write it down to remember it. Did you figure it out? Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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        Thomas Freudenberg
        wrote on last edited by
        #5

        Dave Huff wrote: Did you figure it out? Yes, but it took some while X| Every now and then I re-tried it, until I had found the solution. Afterwards, I searched the WWW and found a nice representation of the solution, which was similar to mine. Does someone want the link? Regards Thomas Finally with Sonork id: 100.10453 Thömmi


        Disclaimer:
        Because of heavy processing requirements, we are currently using some of your unused brain capacity for backup processing. Please ignore any hallucinations, voices or unusual dreams you may experience. Please avoid concentration-intensive tasks until further notice. Thank you.

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        • T Thomas Freudenberg

          Dave Huff wrote: Did you figure it out? Yes, but it took some while X| Every now and then I re-tried it, until I had found the solution. Afterwards, I searched the WWW and found a nice representation of the solution, which was similar to mine. Does someone want the link? Regards Thomas Finally with Sonork id: 100.10453 Thömmi


          Disclaimer:
          Because of heavy processing requirements, we are currently using some of your unused brain capacity for backup processing. Please ignore any hallucinations, voices or unusual dreams you may experience. Please avoid concentration-intensive tasks until further notice. Thank you.

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          DRHuff
          wrote on last edited by
          #6

          Hey make them sweat it out a little first! Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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          • D DRHuff

            Hey make them sweat it out a little first! Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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            Thomas Freudenberg
            wrote on last edited by
            #7

            Of course I am not going to post that link immediately. Not before tomorrow :evil: (Chris M, there is need for an additional emoticon :-D ) Regards Thomas Finally with Sonork id: 100.10453 Thömmi


            Disclaimer:
            Because of heavy processing requirements, we are currently using some of your unused brain capacity for backup processing. Please ignore any hallucinations, voices or unusual dreams you may experience. Please avoid concentration-intensive tasks until further notice. Thank you.

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            • D DRHuff

              You have 12 balls - one of which is either lighter or heavier than the others. Using a balance scale determine the odd ball and whether it is heavy or light in 3 weighings. This is much more difficult than it first appears. Have fun. Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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              Shog9 0
              wrote on last edited by
              #8

              Ok, i just woke up, so if this is complete bollocks, that's my reason ;P Balance any two. If they balance, balancing one with the third will determine the answer. Otherwise, take the lighter one and balance with the third. If they balance, the one not being balanced is the odd one out, and heavy. If they do not balance, the lighter one is the odd one out. --------_**

              all the modern things have always existed they've just been waiting to come out and multiply and take over

              **_

              Björk, The Modern Things

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              • S Shog9 0

                Ok, i just woke up, so if this is complete bollocks, that's my reason ;P Balance any two. If they balance, balancing one with the third will determine the answer. Otherwise, take the lighter one and balance with the third. If they balance, the one not being balanced is the odd one out, and heavy. If they do not balance, the lighter one is the odd one out. --------_**

                all the modern things have always existed they've just been waiting to come out and multiply and take over

                **_

                Björk, The Modern Things

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                DRHuff
                wrote on last edited by
                #9

                Reread the problem You have 12 balls and 3 weighings. ;) Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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                • D DRHuff

                  Reread the problem You have 12 balls and 3 weighings. ;) Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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                  Shog9 0
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #10

                  [slaps self] :-O ah, well, at least i had a disclaimer... :rolleyes: --------_**

                  all the modern things have always existed they've just been waiting to come out and multiply and take over

                  **_

                  Björk, The Modern Things

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                  • D DRHuff

                    You have 12 balls - one of which is either lighter or heavier than the others. Using a balance scale determine the odd ball and whether it is heavy or light in 3 weighings. This is much more difficult than it first appears. Have fun. Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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                    Jamie Hale
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #11

                    My co-worker figured it out the complicated way. And then I Googled for it and found a really slick solution. :) I figured it was going to be one of those ones that has a relatively simple solution that you smack yourself in the head when you figure it out. Not so, huh? J "I am wise enough to therefore not spout my ill informed opinion as if it were remotely related to fact." - Christian Graus

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                    • D DRHuff

                      You have 12 balls - one of which is either lighter or heavier than the others. Using a balance scale determine the odd ball and whether it is heavy or light in 3 weighings. This is much more difficult than it first appears. Have fun. Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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                      Corky
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #12

                      6 and 6 take lighter or heavier 6 3 and 3 take lighter or heavier 3 1 and 1 take lighter or heavier if they balance it's the ball thats left ;) This Sig For Rent
                      Corky

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                      • C Corky

                        6 and 6 take lighter or heavier 6 3 and 3 take lighter or heavier 3 1 and 1 take lighter or heavier if they balance it's the ball thats left ;) This Sig For Rent
                        Corky

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                        Jeremy Falcon
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #13

                        Dammit I was just about to post that! I'm gettin' slow I guess. ;P Good job! Jeremy L. Falcon "If you eat the cookie..." Homepage : Sonork = 100.16311
                        I care to not care about the care of not caring for the caring of a caring one's country.

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                        • C Corky

                          6 and 6 take lighter or heavier 6 3 and 3 take lighter or heavier 3 1 and 1 take lighter or heavier if they balance it's the ball thats left ;) This Sig For Rent
                          Corky

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                          Tim Smith
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #14

                          This doesn't work because.... "take lighter or heavier N" Well, since you don't know if the odd-ball is lighter or heavier, you don't know which group to take. Tim Smith I know what you're thinking punk, you're thinking did he spell check this document? Well, to tell you the truth I kinda forgot myself in all this excitement. But being this here's CodeProject, the most powerful forums in the world and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question, Do I feel lucky? Well do ya punk?

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                          • T Tim Smith

                            This doesn't work because.... "take lighter or heavier N" Well, since you don't know if the odd-ball is lighter or heavier, you don't know which group to take. Tim Smith I know what you're thinking punk, you're thinking did he spell check this document? Well, to tell you the truth I kinda forgot myself in all this excitement. But being this here's CodeProject, the most powerful forums in the world and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question, Do I feel lucky? Well do ya punk?

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                            Jeremy Falcon
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #15

                            Tim Smith wrote: Well, since you don't know if the odd-ball is lighter or heavier, you don't know which group to take. I was under the impression that you tested for one or the other, not both at the same time. :confused: Jeremy L. Falcon "If you eat the cookie..." Homepage : Sonork = 100.16311
                            I care to not care about the care of not caring for the caring of a caring one's country.

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                            • C Corky

                              6 and 6 take lighter or heavier 6 3 and 3 take lighter or heavier 3 1 and 1 take lighter or heavier if they balance it's the ball thats left ;) This Sig For Rent
                              Corky

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                              DRHuff
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #16

                              Remember it is a balance scale so 6 vs 6 will have one side up and one side down but gives no indication if one side has a heavy ball or the other side has a light ball. Try again. Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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                              • C Corky

                                6 and 6 take lighter or heavier 6 3 and 3 take lighter or heavier 3 1 and 1 take lighter or heavier if they balance it's the ball thats left ;) This Sig For Rent
                                Corky

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                                Paresh Solanki
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #17

                                Won't work. What happens at stage two if the 3 & 3 balance? Paresh Solanki There is no substitute for genuine lack of preparation.

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                                • D DRHuff

                                  You have 12 balls - one of which is either lighter or heavier than the others. Using a balance scale determine the odd ball and whether it is heavy or light in 3 weighings. This is much more difficult than it first appears. Have fun. Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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                                  Roger Allen
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #18

                                  Its the green one! No seriously, I have a solution that works for some of the cases depending on whether you randomly pick the odd ball, but not for the cases when you don't :( (yet) Roger Allen Sonork 100.10016 If I had a quote, it would be a very good one.

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                                  • D DRHuff

                                    Remember it is a balance scale so 6 vs 6 will have one side up and one side down but gives no indication if one side has a heavy ball or the other side has a light ball. Try again. Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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                                    Jeremy Falcon
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #19

                                    But it will because the other eleven are all assumed to weigh the same. If each ball weighed a pound with the heavier one weighing two pounds, you'd be weighing 6 to 7. We know the heavier one is on the side that goes down. Jeremy L. Falcon "If you eat the cookie..." Homepage : Sonork = 100.16311
                                    I care to not care about the care of not caring for the caring of a caring one's country.

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                                    • D DRHuff

                                      You have 12 balls - one of which is either lighter or heavier than the others. Using a balance scale determine the odd ball and whether it is heavy or light in 3 weighings. This is much more difficult than it first appears. Have fun. Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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                                      Roger Allen
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #20

                                      Ok, I got it now. The special step is to not compare the last 6 balls against either other once you've got down to 6! I won't post the full solution. The others can sweat it out. Roger Allen Sonork 100.10016 If I had a quote, it would be a very good one.

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                                      • D DRHuff

                                        You have 12 balls - one of which is either lighter or heavier than the others. Using a balance scale determine the odd ball and whether it is heavy or light in 3 weighings. This is much more difficult than it first appears. Have fun. Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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                                        DRHuff
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #21

                                        Measure four against four. Possible results: 1) weigh the same - take three balls from a measured four and three of the remaining and weigh: if the same measure remaining ball is the one - measure it against known ball and you have whether it is heavy or light. if different you know whether it is heavy or light because you know the three balls already measured are the same. Measure one of the three unknows against another. If the same the last ball is the odd man. If not the same the heavier or lighter ball can be determined from previous step. This is the easy part. What to do if the 4 vs 4 do not weigh the same is where it gets hard. Dave Huff 'tis a silly place!

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                                        • J Jeremy Falcon

                                          But it will because the other eleven are all assumed to weigh the same. If each ball weighed a pound with the heavier one weighing two pounds, you'd be weighing 6 to 7. We know the heavier one is on the side that goes down. Jeremy L. Falcon "If you eat the cookie..." Homepage : Sonork = 100.16311
                                          I care to not care about the care of not caring for the caring of a caring one's country.

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                                          Thomas Freudenberg
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #22

                                          What if this odd ball weighs half a pound? We do not know whether the odd ball is lighter or heavier. Regards Thomas Finally with Sonork id: 100.10453 Thömmi


                                          Disclaimer:
                                          Because of heavy processing requirements, we are currently using some of your unused brain capacity for backup processing. Please ignore any hallucinations, voices or unusual dreams you may experience. Please avoid concentration-intensive tasks until further notice. Thank you.

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