http://immunostasis.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] immunostasis.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] head_overheels 2008-06-30 05:07 am (UTC)

Hey there, sweetie.

Here's your problem the two of you have to figure out.

You have twelve coins. You know that one is fake. The only thing that distinguishes the fake coin from the real coins is that its weight is imperceptibly different. You have a perfectly balanced scale. The scale only tells you which side weighs more than the other side.

What is the smallest number of times you must use the scale in order to always find the fake coin?
(20 comments)

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