Math Is Fun Forum

Megan2789

Guest

Apple Puzzle

i tried to do this puzzle but it is too hard for me
please help
it is the one in math puzzle section
then assorted puzzles then you click apple puzzle! i remember doing this 6 months back but i have totally forgot!
pls help!
tanx

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,583

Re: Apple Puzzle

Hi Megan2789

I've seen several similar solutions.  This one is, I think, the most straight forward.

Arrange the baskets in a line and take one apple from the first, two from the second and so on, up to ten from the last.

Weigh those 55 apples.  If they were all the same the total would be 4 x 55 ounces.

But the heavier ones will make the total more; one ounce for each heavy.  So if, for example, the weight comes to 60 ounces, that means 5 heavies, so basket five is the one.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

miff

Member

Registered: 2011-08-22

Posts: 1

Re: Apple Puzzle

There is no answer to this puzzle because the puzzle is wrong. You are told you have a weighing scale, not a weighing machine. A weighing scale is a balance between left side and right side. As such, you have no way of knowing the weight as avalue. The puzzle should be changed to say weighing machine.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,583

Re: Apple Puzzle

hi miff

Welcome to the forum.

This may be a language difficulty.

Have a look at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weighing_scale

If it's a scale then it gives numeric values, because that's what a scale does. 

Bob

Last edited by Bob (2011-08-22 06:10:52)

---

Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob