tom_simes
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Registered: 12th Jan 05
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I just had a job interview at Samco Sport, where I was asked the following question:
You have 8 golf balls, where one of the 8 is marginally heavier than the rest.
You are given a set of balance scales like so:
You are allowed to use the scales twice.
Find which of the golf balls is the heaviest ones.
BTW, I got it right 
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Timbaland
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Registered: 20th Jan 07
Location: Glasgow
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The heavier one.
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Jay
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Registered: 26th Sep 04
Location: Liverpool
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I dont get it
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Matt L
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Registered: 17th Apr 06
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split into 4 then which ever sides heavier, then split them in half again and its a 50% chance youll pick the right on in then end
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Jay
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Registered: 26th Sep 04
Location: Liverpool
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I would just pick them all up and you'd notice the heavier one, if its marginally heavier then you dont need to weigh them on a scale 
[Edited on 22-02-2008 by JayM]
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_Allan_
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Registered: 24th Mar 04
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Sure it wasn't 9 golf balls? 
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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What kind of a job interview did you go to. All of mine have been "when can you start?", "is £x enough? Well that's all i'm giving" 
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CorsAsh
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Registered: 19th Apr 02
Location: Munich
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Yeah I want to do puzzles at interview too 
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Bart
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Registered: 19th Aug 02
Location: Midsomer Norton, Bristol Avon
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pretty simple actually..
if you leave two of the balls off the scales, put 3 of each on each side. If if balances then you know you have one of the two on the side, simply put them on each scale
If it happens to be one of the three then you take one of the balls from the heavier set, put another one ball aside and weight just the two. you can then work out which one is heaviery out of the two on the scales or the last one you put aside
[Edited on 22-02-2008 by Bart]
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lil_g
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Registered: 29th Oct 06
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quote:
Originally posted by Matt L
split into 4 then which ever sides heavier, then split them in half again and its a 50% chance youll pick the right on in then end
Sounds good 
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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quote:
Originally posted by CorsAsh
Yeah I want to do puzzles at interview too
Went to one yesterday. I think all they did was slag the company I used to work for off while walking around thier new unit showing me thier laser cutters. I like being a designer. Much more fun and you don't have to wear a suit.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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Although I think it's a rhetorical question where the answer is what's wrong with the scales and why can you only use them twice? 
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CorsAsh
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Registered: 19th Apr 02
Location: Munich
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I hate having to specify my own wage though, wish they'd offer first and go from there.
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tom_simes
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Registered: 12th Jan 05
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quote:
Originally posted by Bart
pretty simple actually..
if you leave two of the balls off the scales, put 3 of each on each side. If if balances then you know you have one of the two on the side, simply put them on each scale
If it happens to be one of the three then you take one of the balls from the heavier set, put another one ball aside and weight just the two. you can then work out which one is heaviery out of the two on the scales or the last one you put aside
[Edited on 22-02-2008 by Bart]
Bart is spot on
I also got asked how many golf balls I thought were in the air in the UK at any one time (take 1.30 on a Friday as that particular time).
The last question:
If an analogue clock is displaying quarter past three, what is the angle between the minute and hour hand?
Incidentally, I got them right and got the job
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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how many golf balls are in the air at any time ?  wtf?
you got that exactly right?
Clock one surely 0 degree's?
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tom_simes
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Paul, golf balls in the air one was an exercise for him to just see how I thought, so if I was in the right ballpark with the asnwer, so no, didn't get that exactly right.
Think carefully about the clock...
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tom_simes
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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shit very good point tom! 
is it 7.5 degree's?
360 / 12 = 30 degree's per hour
in 15 mins, it should move 1/4 towards the next hour.
therefore 7.5 degree's?
[Edited on 23-02-2008 by Paul_J]
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tom_simes
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Yes Paul, perfect answer.
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SAL
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Registered: 19th Dec 05
Location: Radlett, Hertfordshire
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so samco bit's cheap yo 
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Dan
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Registered: 22nd Apr 02
Location: Gorleston on Sea, Norfolk
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why the fuck would you need to this on an interview
Adult GiftsClick here to vist us
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drax
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Registered: 5th Feb 05
Location: Sittingbourne, Kent
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Was it a golfing / time travelling job you are going for?
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tom_simes
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Registered: 12th Jan 05
Location: Undy, Newport Drives: Skoda Octavia vRS estate
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It was for a quality engineer's position, and most of the problem you come across challenge the way you think.
If you don't think in a logical manner, then you're not suited for the job. Thats what these questions tested.
Stavs - I can find out, when I start in July
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drax
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Registered: 5th Feb 05
Location: Sittingbourne, Kent
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I like the way you think
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All Torque
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Registered: 17th Nov 05
Location: Milton Keynes Drives: Ford Focus TDCi
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Get the heck outta here!
My interview at Tesco involved one of these:
to see if I'd put the square block into the circle hole.
I passed  :TheDon:
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