A merchant was carrying 40 lbs of potatoes and a stone weighing exactly 40 lbs. The stone slipped and broke into 4 pieces. The four pieces are such that, he can weigh any number of lbs of potatoes using a simple balance.
As an example, if 2 pieces are 2 and 3,
He can wieght 1 lb of potatoes by placing the 2 on one side and 3 on the other side, with 1 lb of potatoes in the side with 2 lb stone.
Now, with the four pieces he has he can weight from 1 to 40, all integer combinations. What are the wieghts of the 4 pieces.
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A merchant was carrying 40 lbs of potatoes and a stone weighing exactly 40 lbs. The stone slipped and broke into 4 pieces. The four pieces are such that, he can weigh any number of lbs of potatoes using a simple balance.
As an example, if 2 pieces are 2 and 3,
He can wieght 1 lb of potatoes by placing the 2 on one side and 3 on the other side, with 1 lb of potatoes in the side with 2 lb stone.
Now, with the four pieces he has he can weight from 1 to 40, all integer combinations. What are the wieghts of the 4 pieces.
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