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You are given 4 identical glasses, completely filled with transparent,
odorless liquids. Three of the liquids are pure water, and the fourth is
poison, which is slightly heavier. If the water glasses weigh 250 grams
each, and the poisoned glass weighs 260 grams, how can you figure out
which one is which, using a measuring scale just once?
Here is the process to identify the poisonous glass!
What was the challenge?
Let's number the 4 glasses as 1,2,3 and 4.
Here are steps to identify the glass with poisonous liquid in it.
1. Empty the glass 1 into another empty glass.
2. Take about 1/4th liquid from glass 2 and pour it into emptied glass 1.
3. Take 3/4th of liquid from glass 3 and pout it into glass 1.
Now, glass 1 has 1/4th of liquid from glass 2 and 3/4th from glass 3.
4. Now put glass 1 and glass 4 on the measuring scale.
4.1 - If it weighs exactly 500 gm then it suggests that glass 1 had poison.
4.2 - If it weighs between 500 - 505 grams (precisely 502.5 if exactly 1/4th of liquid was taken from glass 2 to glass 1) then obviously glass 2 is with poisonous liquid.
4.3 - If it
weighs between 505 - 510 grams (precisely 507.5 if exactly 3/4th of liquid was
taken from glass 3 to glass 1) then obviously glass 3 is with poisonous
liquid.
4.4 - If it weighs exactly 510 gm then it suggests that glass 4 has poison.
