Talk:Coin Balance

From Mycoted

I am not sure that the solution is right. I can not understand in the second case, "If A1, A2, B1, B2 are lighter than A3, B3, C1, C2 then either A1, A2 are lighter or B3 is heavier (and can be determined by a single balance)". Why the assumption could not be that either B1, B2 are lighter or A3 is heavier? And which is the last balance in any cases? Lalistati 12:41, 29 September 2006 (GMT)

Lalistati. There was a slight mistake in my wording, well spotted. I have edited it.

It should be "If A1, A2, B1, B2 are lighter than A3, B3, C1, C2 then either B1, B2 are lighter or A3 is heavier (and can be determined by a single balance)". and it can not be the way round I had written it "B1, B2 are lighter or A3 is heavier" since we know (since the A side was heavier) that it is either a heavy A coin or a light B coin, and we now know that the lighter coins are on the right (A1,A2, B1, B2) in this second weighing or that the heavy coins are on the left (A3, B3, C1, C2).

Many Thanks for letting me know. --Andy 16:27, 29 September 2006 (GMT)