Problem

Source: 43rd International Mathematics Tournament Of Towns q.6

Tags: combinatorics



There were made 7 golden, 7 silver and 7 bronze for a tournament. All the medals of the same material should weigh the same and the medals of different materials should have different weight. However, it so happened that exactly one medal had a wrong weight. If this medal is golden, it is lighter than a standard golden medal; if it is bronze, it is heavier than a standard bronze one; if it is silver, it may be lighter or heavier than a standard silver one. Is it possible to find the nonstandard one for sure, using three weighings on a balance scale with no weights?