Balancing Beams

Braingle.com on Dec 2, 2024

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The following task involves several steps, but they are out of order. Arrange them so that a person who follows the steps exactly can perform the task:

You have three heavy beams marked A, B, and C, and want to find out which one is the heaviest. You also have a scale that tells you which of any two beams is heavier, but it does not give the specific weight of any beam. In what order must you perform the following steps to determine which beam is the heaviest, and to mark it accordingly? Assume that all three have different weights.

a) Weigh A against B.
b) Weigh B against C.
c) Weigh A against C.
d) If A is heavier, skip the next three statements.
e) If A is heavier, skip the next four statements.
f) If B is heavier, skip the next five statements.
g) Mark A "heaviest."
h) Mark B "heaviest."
i) Mark C "heaviest."
j) Skip the next statement.
k) Skip the next two statements.
l) Skip the next three statements.
m) End.

Solution:

a) Weigh A against B.
d) If A is heavier, skip the next three statements.
b) Weigh B against C.
f) If B is heavier, skip the next five statements.
k) Skip the next two statements.
c) Weigh A against C.
e) If A is heavier, skip the next four statements.
i) Mark C "heaviest."
l) Skip the next three statements.
h) Mark B "heaviest."
j) Skip the next statement.
g) Mark A "heaviest."
m) End.

Today's brain teaser courtesy of Braingle.com.