Riddle
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Haha, either way, the point isn't about the actual numbers. Regardless of units, the method mentioned above will work.
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A King has 10 tax collectors, each responsible for collecting 10 pounds of gold from their territories. The gold is delivered to the king in the form of 10 one pound gold bars (for each of the 10 tax collectors, for a total of 100 pounds of gold). The king gets wind that one of the tax collectors is shaving one ounce from each of his gold bars, and therefore only delivering 9 pounds 6 ounces of gold in his bag.
The king has a scale in his castle, but it's coin operated, and the king only has one coin. Thus, he can only take one measurement of weight (this is instantaneous, so he can't just put the coin in, and keep adding one bar at a time, etc.).
How can he find out which tax collector is shorting him?
The king has a scale in his castle, but it's coin operated, and the king only has one coin. Thus, he can only take one measurement of weight (this is instantaneous, so he can't just put the coin in, and keep adding one bar at a time, etc.).
How can he find out which tax collector is shorting him?
The king should take 1 bar from the 1st collector, then 2 for the 2nd, and so on until all 10 from the 10th.
The scale is SUPPOSED to read 1 + 2 + 3.... +10 = total weight
However, if one collector is shorting him, then the scale will show (total weight - shorted amount). The shorted amount will indicate who did it. IE, if the 3rd collector is the cheater, then it will be short 3*1oz=3oz.
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