MathDB
11 coins are indistinguishable by sight

Source: Russian 2007

September 6, 2007
countingdistinguishabilitycombinatorics proposedcombinatorics

Problem Statement

There are 11 11 coins, which are indistinguishable by sight. Nevertheless, among them there are 10 10 geniune coins ( of weight 20 20 g each) and one counterfeit (of weight 21 21 g). You have a two-pan scale which is blanced when the weight in the left-hand pan is twice as much as the weight in the right-hand one. Using this scale only, find the false coin by three weighings.