http://www.idkfa.com/v3 idkfa: syndicated http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3643&msg_id=3646 Um, duh, use a sharp edge on the scale to scrape away the surface on each ball until you find the pile with solid gold. Weigh one ball so that you only have 9 options left. Or add balls sequentially until you find the 9 pounder, since that's only one weighing event, right?? Or scroll down for what I think the real answer is: 1 ball from first pile, 2 from second pile.... 9 from ninth pile, 0 from 10th pile, weigh it all up. If pile weight ends in 0, then gold is the unweighed (10th pile), if ends in 9 gold from 1st pile, if ends in 8 gold from 2nd pile... if ends in 1, gold from 9th pile. I win. Scrotor@idkfa.com (Scrotor) Mercy General Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:51:26 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3643&msg_id=3646 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3643&msg_id=3645 The scale breaks after it weighs once. You can instantaneously place balls on the scale. Once you start taking balls off the scale it will break. kitacek@idkfa.com (kitacek) Mercy General Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:45:21 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3643&msg_id=3645 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3643&msg_id=3644 When exactly does the scale break? Are we assuming that we can instantaneously place balls on the scale, or are we forced to do so one at a time? kaiden@idkfa.com (kaiden) Mercy General Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:42:50 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3643&msg_id=3644 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3643&msg_id=3643 This went up on my social media profiles, but I'll put it up here too: There are 10 piles of gold plated balls. Each pile has 10 balls. Each pile is visually identical to the other. 9 of the piles have balls that are gold plated lead, which are therefore worthless and weigh 10lbs/ball. 1 of the piles has balls that are solid gold, which are therefore worth a lot and weigh 9 lbs/ball. Your objective is to obtain the pile of solid gold balls. However, your only diagnostic tool is a weigh scale, and it will break after *one* use. Strangely, the weigh scale is of the size and capacity that you can weigh any number of balls from any number of piles. What's the solution? Also consider whether or not you want to post the solution and therefore spoil it to someone who's thinking about it. kitacek@idkfa.com (kitacek) Mercy General Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:31:15 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=3643&msg_id=3643