Shopkeeper's Weights

If a shopkeeper can only place the weights on one side of the common balance. For example, if he has weights 1 and 3 then he can measure 1, 3 and 4 only. Now the question is how many minimum weights and names of the weights you will need to measure all weights from 1 to 1000? This is a fairly simple problem and very easy to prove also.




Similar Riddles

Four people need to cross a rickety bridge at night. Unfortunately, they have only one torch and the bridge is too dangerous to cross without one. The bridge is only strong enough to support two people at a time. Not all people take the same time to cross the bridge. Times for each person: 1 min, 2 mins, 7 mins and 10 mins. What is the shortest time needed for all four of them to cross the bridge?

River Crossing with one Torch

Asked by Neha on 31 Jul 2024


John was running from 40 thieves. John has got 3 gold boxes which weigh as 4kg, 2kg, and 1kg respectively. A witty man asked John to stay with him for seven days in exchange for 1kg gold per day. John needs to stay there for seven days and also do not want to give the witty man any advance. How can John pay for his seven days stay?

Asked by Neha on 14 Jul 2023

Twice ten are six of us,

Six are but three of us,

Nine are but four of us;

What can we possibly be?

Would you know more of us?

Twelve are but six of us,

Five are but four, do you see?

What are we?

Asked by Neha on 26 Dec 2020


There was a blind man. He had four socks in his drawer either black or white. He opened it and took out two socks. Now the probability that it was a pair of white socks is 1/2.

Can you find out the probability that he had taken out a pair of black socks ?

Asked by Neha on 19 Mar 2023

This is a famous paradox which has caused a great deal of argument and disbelief from many who cannot accept the correct answer. Four balls are placed in a hat. One is white, one is blue and the other two are red. The bag is shaken and someone draws two balls from the hat. He looks at the two balls and announces that at least one of them is red. What are the chances that the other ball he has drawn out is also red?

Asked by Neha on 17 Oct 2024

It is a 5 letter word if you take away first letter it is something you get from sun, if you remove second letter you will get something to eat, if you remove third letter you get a word you use in pointing at and if you remove the fourth letter you get something to drink. What is it?

Asked by Neha on 17 May 2021


Can you think of any three-dimensional shape that comprises of exactly two surfaces?

Asked by Neha on 27 Mar 2025

In a concert, Christina is performing a dance show with her group.
At 10:00, she and her crew were dancing in an absolutely straight line. At that time Christina was standing in 4th position from both the front and back end of the row.

What was the size of her crew?

Asked by Neha on 11 Aug 2024

There are forty elephants and they have forty-fore heads. How can this be possible?

Asked by Neha on 16 Apr 2024


Below, you will find the mathematical proof that 10 equals 9.99999?. But is that possible or there is something wrong about it? Can you find the error?

x = 9.999999...
10x = 99.999999...
10x - x = 90
9x = 90
x = 10

Asked by Neha on 27 Aug 2021

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Crossword

The day before the 1996 U.S. presidential election, the NYT Crossword contained the clue “Lead story in tomorrow’s newspaper,” the puzzle was built so that both electoral outcomes were correct answers, requiring 7 other clues to have dual responses.