I have a balance scale and I need to be able to weigh any item between 1 and 50 pounds, to the nearest pound. How many
different weights do I need to buy?
Thanks Guys - I worked it out.
Answer: I only needed six different weights to weigh anything from 1 to
50 pounds. The weights are: 1 pound, 2 pounds, 4 pounds, 8 pounds, 16 pounds
and 32 pounds. Any number from 1 through 50 (actually, you can go up to
63 pounds with these weights) can be created using combinations of the
weights.