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peachey
12-02-2004, 15:15
Ok you have 10 buckets
one is filled with real gold pieces - the other buckets with fake pieces

all you know is that the fake pieces weigh 1gram more than the
real pieces

you have one scale which you can weigh one thing on

how do you find the real gold?

Stuartbe
12-02-2004, 15:17
Ok you have 10 buckets
one is filled with real gold pieces - the other with fake pieces

all you know is that the fake pieces weigh 1gram more than the
real pieces

you have one scale which you can weigh one thing on

how do you find the real gold?

Just wiegh both buckets :)

peachey
12-02-2004, 15:19
Just wiegh both buckets :)


how do you mean?

there are 10 buckets

(how do you find which bucket the real gold is in)

Nugget
12-02-2004, 15:19
Ok you have 10 buckets
one is filled with real gold pieces - the other with fake pieces

all you know is that the fake pieces weigh 1gram more than the
real pieces

you have one scale which you can weigh one thing on

how do you find the real gold?

Try to cash them in a bank! :D

Stuartbe
12-02-2004, 15:22
how do you mean?

there are 10 buckets

(how do you find which bucket the real gold is in)

Yes - but your words were " one is filled with real gold pieces - the other with fake pieces "

The word other and not others made me state this - or is it just a typo !

Ramrod
12-02-2004, 15:23
Ok you have 10 buckets
one is filled with real gold pieces - the other with fake pieces

all you know is that the fake pieces weigh 1gram more than the
real pieces

you have one scale which you can weigh one thing on

how do you find the real gold?
Do you mean that you can only use the scales once?

peachey
12-02-2004, 15:24
Do you mean that you can only use the scales once?

yes - one use of the scales only

Dave Stones
12-02-2004, 15:27
do the old gold prospector thiing and bite them... of course if you hit the soft one you shout "gold!" and dance around...

Ramrod
12-02-2004, 15:31
yes - one use of the scales onlySo you could put one coin on to tare the scales and then weigh a coin from the other bucket :D
Or if the scales are manual then you could use one coin as the counterweight when you weigh another coin.....

Stu038
12-02-2004, 15:35
put a coin from each bucket onto the scales and then remove one at time

peachey
12-02-2004, 15:36
So you could put one coin on to tare the scales and then weigh a coin from the other bucket :D
Or if the scales are manual then you could use one coin as the counterweight when you weigh another coin.....


no one thing - one time

you do get to get told that the fake pieces are, say, 100grams each
to make things a bit easier

Ramrod
12-02-2004, 16:10
no one thing - one time

you do get to get told that the fake pieces are, say, 100grams each
to make things a bit easierDon't suppose you are told how many fake pieces there are? :D

peachey
12-02-2004, 16:20
Don't suppose you are told how many fake pieces there are? :D


fraid not no - but there is the same amount of
pieces in each bucket

the buckets and their contents all look the same

Sociable
12-02-2004, 17:19
One way is to load 5 buckets on each side and the lighter side will contain the one with the gold.

Then you proceed to remove one bucket from each side and when the scales balance or there is only one bucket remaining you will have your answer.

EDIT: Same works in reverse when adding the buckets to each side one at a time of course as adding the differently weighted bucket will upset the balance. :)

iadom
12-02-2004, 17:23
Put a coin from each bucket on the scales, remove them one at a time, when the reading drops by 99gms, you have your gold coin in your hand.

peachey
12-02-2004, 19:44
One way is to load 5 buckets on each side and the lighter side will contain the one with the gold.

Then you proceed to remove one bucket from each side and when the scales balance or there is only one bucket remaining you will have your answer.

EDIT: Same works in reverse when adding the buckets to each side one at a time of course as adding the differently weighted bucket will upset the balance. :)

no - good guess, but removing a bucket will give a different reading
and will thus consitute another 'weighing' of which you are only allowed one

give up?

Stuartbe
12-02-2004, 19:50
no - good guess, but removing a bucket will give a different reading
and will thus consitute another 'weighing' of which you are only allowed one

give up?

Yep :cry:

Sociable
12-02-2004, 19:53
There is a method of using a balance beam and placing five buckets at equal intervals along each side of the beam.

As the effect of the weight diferentials will depend on the location of the differently weighted bucket it would indicate which specific bucket it is.

Marge
12-02-2004, 19:55
Yep :cry:

I've blobbed you, has it helped :notopic: sorry :blush:

Sociable
12-02-2004, 19:55
I've blobbed you, has it helped :notopic: sorry :blush:

LOL Yep it would appear it has :)

Marge
12-02-2004, 19:57
LOL Yep it would appear it has :)

good, now let me see if i can make any sense of this puzzle, does it involve maths cos if it does i need to involve proppin :tu:

Stuartbe
12-02-2004, 19:59
I've blobbed you, has it helped :notopic: sorry :blush:

Cheers Debsy - you get a big :luv: for that (looks for Lesleyann) :D

Bex
12-02-2004, 20:01
Cheers Debsy - you get a big :luv: for that (looks for Lesleyann) :D

you dun half push your lucky with lesleyann dont you :pp...remember women are always right and don't you forget it

i like soc's suggestion of using the pole thingy

Russ
12-02-2004, 20:05
Pour Coca-cola over both buckets.

Julian
12-02-2004, 20:09
no - good guess, but removing a bucket will give a different reading
and will thus consitute another 'weighing' of which you are only allowed one

give up?


I give up too. :cry:

Why do I feel as if there is nothing mathematical about this at all?

iadom
12-02-2004, 20:11
Put a coin from each bucket on the scales, remove them one at a time, when the reading drops by 99gms, you have your gold coin in your hand.Well this would work, as you have only actually weighed them once.

smegs
12-02-2004, 20:12
I'm confused :confused: i give up far too hard for my little brain :banghead:

Stuartbe
12-02-2004, 20:14
you dun half push your lucky with lesleyann dont you :pp...remember women are always right and don't you forget it

i like soc's suggestion of using the pole thingy

Dont worry Bex... I have good life insurence :D

blackthorn
12-02-2004, 20:37
Line the buckets up and take 1 coin out of bucket 1, 2 out of bucket 2, 3 out of bucket 3 and so on until you reach bucket 10 which you will take 10 coins out of.
you`ll have 55 coins in total. Put the 55 coins on the scale. If all the coins were real gold, they would weigh 5445 grms, so if the weight was example; 6grms over then you would know that the pile you took out of bucket 6 was the false gold. If it was 1gram over the 5445, then it would be bucket 1, and so on. 9grms over , bucket 9. When you put the 55 coins on, obviously you dont mix them all up otherwise you wont know which bucket they came out of.

Tricky
12-02-2004, 20:42
Line the buckets up and take 1 coin out of bucket 1, 2 out of bucket 2, 3 out of bucket 3 and so on until you reach bucket 10 which you will take 10 coins out of.
you`ll have 55 coins in total. Put the 55 coins on the scale. If all the coins were real gold, they would weigh 5445 grms, so if the weight was example; 6grms over then you would know that the pile you took out of bucket 6 was the false gold. If it was 1gram over the 5445, then it would be bucket 1, and so on. 9grms over , bucket 9. When you put the 55 coins on, obviously you dont mix them all up otherwise you wont know which bucket they came out of.

Bingo! - I'd seen the puzzle before but with only one "Real" gold bucket and therefore which was the real one...Same rules apply

Sociable
12-02-2004, 20:46
Like the thinking on your idea too blackthorn but can see two potential problems.

First is that I believe there may be an unstated requirement that you are not allowed to touch the coins themselves.

Second is that your way will only work if there are a minimum of 10 coins in each bucket and that has not been stated.

Just anticipating a degree of trickery in the question though and your solution may be correct too.

EDIT: LOL :)

Just spotted a third problem which is that according to the question the actual weight of a single gold or fake coin is not known only the difference between fake and real is given. So how would you know how much the weight is under compared to what would be expected given you have no idea what the total weight should be?

Tricky
12-02-2004, 20:51
New puzzle - Easy one to start -->

Fred and Bob are brothers and were born within the same hour, on the same day but yet they are not twins. How can this be?

Moox
12-02-2004, 20:53
Different year?

Tricky
12-02-2004, 20:55
Different year?

Sorry same year - In fact we'll go with 9th August 2001 is printed on both their birth certificates.

blackthorn
12-02-2004, 21:01
They could have a sister born at the same time, so they could be triplets and not twins.

Moox
12-02-2004, 21:03
They could have a sister born at the same time, so they could be triplets and not twins.
Triplets. Just going to post that answer

peachey
12-02-2004, 21:04
Line the buckets up and take 1 coin out of bucket 1, 2 out of bucket 2, 3 out of bucket 3 and so on until you reach bucket 10 which you will take 10 coins out of.
you`ll have 55 coins in total. Put the 55 coins on the scale. If all the coins were real gold, they would weigh 5445 grms, so if the weight was example; 6grms over then you would know that the pile you took out of bucket 6 was the false gold. If it was 1gram over the 5445, then it would be bucket 1, and so on. 9grms over , bucket 9. When you put the 55 coins on, obviously you dont mix them all up otherwise you wont know which bucket they came out of.


Voila!
check out the big brain on Blackthorne

well done

Tricky
12-02-2004, 21:10
They could have a sister born at the same time, so they could be triplets and not twins.

Take a prize blackthorn....

Next:
Four tourists need to cross an old bridge over a fast flowing river. The train which brought them to the beauty spot is going to leave in exactly 13 minutes. It is very dark and you only have one torch. You can only cross the bridge if you have the torch and because the bridge is old a maximum of two tourists can cross at once. Due to the fitness levels of the tourists they don't all move at the same pace, the details are below - should two tourists cross together then they cross at the speed of the slowest.

T1 = 1min, T2 = 2min, T3=5min, T4=6min.

All 4 must be across in 13 minutes or the last train of the evening will leave without them. And no, you cannot carry each other.

Sociable
12-02-2004, 21:10
Voila!
check out the big brain on Blackthorne

well done

Was there an error in the original question posed then?


EDIT: Just spotted a third problem which is that according to the question the actual weight of a single gold or fake coin is not known only the difference between fake and real is given. So how would you know how much the weight is under compared to what would be expected given you have no idea what the total weight should be?

peachey
12-02-2004, 21:15
yeah
I mentioned the 100gram thing a couple of posts later

it's still a good puzle by any standards


Blackthorne twigged what I was on about

blackthorn
12-02-2004, 21:29
T1 and T2 go over in 1 minute, T1 returns, 1 minute (total 2 mins). T3 and T4 go over, 6mins and T2 comes back (total 8 mins ) then T1 and T2 cross back over (1min)
Grand total of 11 minutes.

Sociable
12-02-2004, 21:34
T1 and T2 go over in 1 minute, T1 returns, 1 minute (total 2 mins). T3 and T4 go over, 6mins and T2 comes back (total 8 mins ) then T1 and T2 cross back over (1min)
Grand total of 11 minutes.

Almost except first journey takes 2 mins as does the final one giving a total time of 13 mins. :)

Tricky
12-02-2004, 21:38
Almost except first journey takes 2 mins as does the final one giving a total time of 13 mins. :)

Indeed

blackthorn
12-02-2004, 21:39
Almost except first journey takes 2 mins as does the final one giving a total time of 13 mins. :)
Your correct there, I had the right sequence wrong times, forgot that they cross at the slowest rate. Brain not functioning then, I`ll have to get some sleep, up at 4am for work. :)

Ramrod
12-02-2004, 21:43
Line the buckets up and take 1 coin out of bucket 1, 2 out of bucket 2, 3 out of bucket 3 and so on until you reach bucket 10 which you will take 10 coins out of.
you`ll have 55 coins in total. Put the 55 coins on the scale. If all the coins were real gold, they would weigh 5445 grms, so if the weight was example; 6grms over then you would know that the pile you took out of bucket 6 was the false gold. If it was 1gram over the 5445, then it would be bucket 1, and so on. 9grms over , bucket 9. When you put the 55 coins on, obviously you dont mix them all up otherwise you wont know which bucket they came out of. :nworthy: :nworthy: :nworthy: :D

paulius55
12-02-2004, 22:55
all you know is that the fake pieces weigh 1gram more than the
real pieces
Given the density of gold, and that the fake pieces are heavier it would probably mean that the fake ones are a gold/platinum alloy, which is probably more valuable than gold, so I will keep the "fake" ones thanks.

Graham
12-02-2004, 23:51
Ok you have 10 buckets... how do you find the real gold?

I take two buckets and whilst everyone is waiting for me to come up with an answer I disappear off with both of them.

The odds are I've just got away with two buckets full of gold coins!

All 4 must be across in 13 minutes or the last train of the evening will leave without them.

T1 goes across, gets to the station and says "look, I've got some elderly friends who won't make the train if it leaves on time, there's nothing behind you, so either you wait here or tomorrow there'll be a story in the paper about 'railway company abandons pensioners in the middle of the night...!"

Ever get the feeling I don't like puzzles like these?!

peachey
12-02-2004, 23:55
I take two buckets and whilst everyone is waiting for me to come up with an answer I disappear off with both of them.

The odds are I've just got away with two buckets full of gold coins!



T1 goes across, gets to the station and says "look, I've got some elderly friends who won't make the train if it leaves on time, there's nothing behind you, so either you wait here or tomorrow there'll be a story in the paper about 'railway company abandons pensioners in the middle of the night...!"

Ever get the feeling I don't like puzzles like these?!

yes we got that distinct impression

zoombini
13-02-2004, 08:34
T1 & T2 go across with torch. (2 mins total)
T1 comes back with torch. (1 min)
T3 & T4 go acros with torch (6 mins total)
T2 comes back with torch. (2 mins)
T1 & T2 go across with torch. (2 mins total)
2+1+6+2+2 = 13 mins.
T1, T2, T3, T4 all chuck Peachey into the river & get on the train.
T5 swoops down, rescues her & then bans her from carrying the torch ever again.



Next:
Four tourists need to cross an old bridge over a fast flowing river. The train which brought them to the beauty spot is going to leave in exactly 13 minutes. It is very dark and you only have one torch. You can only cross the bridge if you have the torch and because the bridge is old a maximum of two tourists can cross at once. Due to the fitness levels of the tourists they don't all move at the same pace, the details are below - should two tourists cross together then they cross at the speed of the slowest.

T1 = 1min, T2 = 2min, T3=5min, T4=6min.

All 4 must be across in 13 minutes or the last train of the evening will leave without them. And no, you cannot carry each other.
EDIT:Didnt notice 2nd page & result already given.

zoombini
13-02-2004, 08:37
New puzzle - Easy one to start -->

Fred and Bob are brothers and were born within the same hour, on the same day but yet they are not twins. How can this be?
Is this also possible if they were born by different mothers yet the same father?

Or is that step brothers or something?