Lateral Thinking Questions

===============
ANSWER: L.T.Q. #9  !
===============
Date: Tuesday, August 22, 1995 2:51PM

Well, the cubicle re-derangements here at the Support Centre have been completed.

Unfortunately, I am still without a cubicle! Instead, I've been stuck into a tiny little cubby-hole type thing, so small that even the mice have to go outside to change their minds!

All the non-junk from my old desk is still packed in the moving boxes, where it will stay until someone finds a permanent home for me. Because of this, the cards with the Lateral Thinking questions are still boxed away. If I get a chance to dig for them, I'll send out another question. In the meantime, here are some outstanding answers*.

Here is this week's question:

There are seven coins which look identical. One of the seven coins weighs slightly less than the other six. Using a balance scale, how could you determine which is the light coin in just two weighings?

ANSWER:

Minimum is two weighings. Weigh three coins against three coins. If they balance, the lighter coin is the seventh one, not on the scales. If they don't balance, take the lighter three coins, and weigh one against one. Again, if they balance, the lighter coin is the one off the scale, otherwise, it is the coin on the lighter side.

* NOTE: Because the actual answer cards are still packed away, I'm giving you these answers from my memory. E&OE. So there.

Return to Questions.

This web page is maintained by Mike Jourard using HTML Notepad from cranial software.
Last modified on December 9, 1995. Converted to dot-com web site on May 22, 2000. Copyright © 1995,2000 by Badinage Publications. All rights reserved.