Puzzle Corner

Which answer in this list is the correct answer to this question?

1. All of the below.
   
2. None of the below.
   
3. All of the above.
   
4. One of the above.
   
5. None of the above.
   
6. None of the above.
   

I think it's

Show contentSpoiler:

5

[Laird]

Right you are.

Which answer in this list is the correct answer to this question?

1. All of the below.
   
2. None of the below.
   
3. All of the above.
   
4. One of the above.
   
5. None of the above.
   
6. None of the above.
   

I think it's:

Show contentSpoiler:

5

1 is false because it would make 2 true, and if 2 is true, the rest are false.
2 is false because if it were true, then 4 would also be true.
3 is false because we've already shown 1 and 2 are false.
4 is false because we've already shown 1, 2, and 3 are false.
5 is true because we've already shown that 1, 2, 3, and 4 are false.
6 is false because we've already shown that 5 is true.

Linda

[Laird]

Right you are too.

You are a merchant who needs to be able to weigh your products in 1 pound increments, from 1 to 40 pounds. You have a balancing scale, but you don't have any weights. Weights are expensive, so you want to minimize the number you order. How many weights, of what size, do you order?

[Laird]

You are a merchant who needs to be able to weigh your products in 1 pound increments, from 1 to 40 pounds. You have a balancing scale, but you don't have any weights. Weights are expensive, so you want to minimize the number you order. How many weights, of what size, do you order?

Show contentMy solution:

Six weights: 20, 10, 5, 2, 2, and 1.

You are a merchant who needs to be able to weigh your products in 1 pound increments, from 1 to 40 pounds. You have a balancing scale, but you don't have any weights. Weights are expensive, so you want to minimize the number you order. How many weights, of what size, do you order?

The merchant thinks on this a bit and says, "I can do this with 4 weights." What size weights do they order? 

Their spouse points out that with a little creativity, they can probably do it with one. 

Linda

[Laird]

The merchant thinks on this a bit and says, "I can do this with 4 weights." What size weights do they order? 

I think, at this point, that you should be telling us... or at least me, because I can't imagine how it could be done with only 4 weights! Feel free to hide it in a spoiler though...

Their spouse points out that with a little creativity, they can probably do it with one.

Ha. There's got to be a trick there that I'm missing. Go on then...

[Ninshub]

I'm not good enough in math or logic to participate, but could the merchant play with the numbers of products on one end of the scale, using only one weight on the other end, to work it out?

The merchant thinks on this a bit and says, "I can do this with 4 weights." What size weights do they order? 

Their spouse points out that with a little creativity, they can probably do it with one. 

Linda

Show contentAnswer:

Maybe I'm just being silly here, but surely this fellow can do it with just 1 x 1g weight?

Ahh, patience is so under appreciated

 

Edit: Actually, rereading the original question and the specific way it is worded, my answer is the only possible, reasonable answer, unless I have completely misunderstood the question....