The Missing Grams
brainteaser
A mint has arranged coins into ten separate stacks. Nine stacks contain ordinary coins weighing exactly 10 grams each. Every coin in the remaining stack is counterfeit and weighs exactly 9 grams, but that stack looks identical to all the others. Each stack contains enough coins for any test you choose.
You may place any selection of coins on a digital scale. The scale reports the exact total weight in grams, and all coins used in a test may be weighed together.
What is the fewest number of weighings needed to determine with certainty which stack contains the counterfeit coins?
Hints
Hint 1
Hint 2
Hint 3
Solution
Commit an attempt to unseal the proof. Write your answer — right or wrong, thinking it through is the point.
What is the minimum number of weighings required?
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