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Answer the following question based on the information given below.
A competition requires Rahul to identify the odd weight in a group of weights, given that all the remaining weights are equal. He is given a regular pan balance to complete this task.
 
Q.If Rahul is initially given 15 weights, how many iterations will 1 Marks he need to definitely pin-point the odd weight and whether it heavier or lighter than the other wieghts?
  • a)
    3
  • b)
    4
  • c)
    5
  • d)
    6
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
Answer the following question based on the information given below.A c...
Here, it is not known whether the odd weight is heavier or lighter.
To begin, Rahul needs to divide the 15 weights into three lots of five weights each.
Iterations 1 and 2: Compare Lot 1 and Lot 2.
If these lots are equal, the odd weight is definitely in the third lot. In that case, compare either Lot 1 or 2 with Lot 3 to identify whether the odd weight is heavier or lighter.
If these lots are unequal, the odd weight is in one of Lot 1 or 2 and the other is equal to Lot 3. So, compare either Lot 1 with Lot 3. If they are equal, the odd weight is in Lot 2, else it is in Lot 1. Also, whether the odd weight is heavier or lighter can be identified at this stage.
Irrespective of the outcome, a Lot of 5 weights (that has the odd weight) can be identified at the end of iteration 2.
Iterations 3 and 4: Divide the Lot of 5 weights into 2, 2 and 1 and compare the two groups of 2 weights each.
If they are equal, the odd weight is the single weight that is left out. In this case, Rahul can pin point the odd weight at the end of the third iteration.
If they are unequal and knowing whether the odd weight is lighter or heavier, Rahul can know which group has the odd weight.
Comparing just these two weights in the next iteration helps Rahul find the odd weight.
So, Rahul can definitely pin point the odd weight at the end of the fourth iteration.
Hence, option 2.
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Most Upvoted Answer
Answer the following question based on the information given below.A c...
Understanding the Problem:
Rahul is given a group of weights, out of which one weight is different from the others in terms of its weight. He needs to identify this odd weight and determine whether it is heavier or lighter than the other weights. Rahul has a regular pan balance to help him in this task. We need to determine the number of iterations Rahul will need to definitely pinpoint the odd weight and determine its weight relative to the others.

Approach:
To solve this problem, we can use a binary search-like approach, where we divide the group of weights into two equal halves and compare their weights on the pan balance. Based on the results of this comparison, we can further divide the group into two halves and continue the process until we identify the odd weight.

Explanation:
Let's assume Rahul is initially given 15 weights numbered from 1 to 15. We can divide these weights into two groups of 7 and 8 weights each. We compare the weights of these two groups on the pan balance.

Case 1: If the weights are balanced, it means that the odd weight is not present in either of these two groups. In this case, we can eliminate these two groups and focus on the remaining 7 weights (if the odd weight is lighter) or 8 weights (if the odd weight is heavier).

Case 2: If the weights are unbalanced, it means that the odd weight is present in one of these two groups. In this case, we can eliminate the balanced group and focus on the remaining 7 weights (if the odd weight is lighter) or 8 weights (if the odd weight is heavier).

Now, we repeat the process with the remaining weights, dividing them into two equal halves and comparing their weights on the pan balance. We continue this process until we are left with only one weight, which will be the odd weight.

Iteration 1: 15 weights -> 7 weights + 8 weights
Iteration 2: 7 weights -> 3 weights + 4 weights
Iteration 3: 4 weights -> 2 weights + 2 weights
Iteration 4: 2 weights -> 1 weight + 1 weight

Hence, Rahul will need 4 iterations to definitely pinpoint the odd weight and determine whether it is heavier or lighter than the other weights.

Therefore, the correct answer is option 'B' (4 iterations).
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Directions: The passage below is followed by a question based on its content. Answer the question on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.Competitive intelligence, or CI for short, is all about collating information about your competitors, analyzing it and using the results to formulate plans and strategies to gain the competitive edge in the marketplace. Sadly, many people confuse this with spying or other cloak and dagger activities. Nothing could be further from the truth. Competitive intelligence uses legal and ethical methods in obtaining the information - anything else is not acceptable. Data must come from the public domain but this is not limited to published articles alone, indeed much information can come from interviewing people with experience or knowledge of the target companies. What is not acceptable is bugging, overhearing conversations behind closed doors or even attempting to gain trade secrets. Coca-Colas secret formula for example is a trade secret and no faithful CI practitioner would over attempt to discover it, but then Pepsi does not need to know what the formula is in order to compete effectively. CI practitioners abide by a strict code of ethics and these are far tighter than any legal constraints. If a method sounds in the least bit shady its not one that they would adopt.So where does the information come from? Information becomes available for a large number of reasons: financial information due to legal obligations and (in the case of public limited companies) duty to shareholders; product information to promote the company etc. This data emerges in from the annual reports, marketing material, applications for patents the list goes on. You must first have an understanding of why information becomes available, then think about where it might be obtained and then you can begin to work out how to obtain it. Its important to realize that information is very rarely held by only a few people. Normally the same information will be shared across a great number of sources and/or people. This is called the "information chain", and understanding it and following it is vital to the CI process. For example competitor prices are not only known by the company doing the selling but by the customers that have bought the product or service, so instead of trying to get the information from the competitor, try to get it from those that the competitor has already given it to! The information chain can be quite complex. Usually, actually obtaining the information is easy, it is thinking about where to get it from that is the difficult part. This can involve deep discussions in house and lateral thinking is a prized asset to have in this industry.Often the person who holds the information seems quite far removed from the heart of the matter - a company security guard for example. It is such people who not only have the knowledge, but they dont know how valuable it is and therefore dont mind divulging it. Interviewing to obtain information is a skill in itself, being too keen makes an interviewee very defensive and careful about their answers. One approach is to treat the most important question as the least significant; a question that it seems you wouldnt be bothered if it werent answered. Long pauses also yield fantastic results as people dont like silence and will fill in the gap, though this requires much self-constraint.Not all information comes from first party (or primary) sources, Indeed, not only is it sometimes quicker and easier to obtain from published (or secondary) sources where possible but it is also essential to conduct such searches before attempting to interview for further information. Company reports hold huge amounts of financial information about a company and they are available to anyone, for a small fee. But this is raw data and the accountants who drew them up usually hide sensitive information very well. A good CI practitioner is able to dissect these accounts, sorting through all the available data to produce some valuable analysed results. The rule of thumb is to start at the back and work to the front since much of the interesting data is in the "œnotes" section.Results dont always present themselves as a single definitive answer that is available from one or more sources (but always the same answer). Rather like a jigsaw puzzle, pieces must be gathered together, inspected to see where they each fit, until finally the bigger picture is revealed.Competitive intelligence is at its best when the results are used proactively. For example before committing large amounts of capital to a new development or research project, companies engage CI professionals. Being told that they will be beaten to market since the competitors are much further down the line, can save companies small fortunes and divert efforts to areas where they will be first to market.In conclusion there is not much information on a competitor that cant be obtained or calculated. Companies seem quite happy to spend many thousands of pounds "œpoaching" people from their competitors to gain information (which in itself can raise legal issues). They are then committed to employing that person in future years thereby increasing the expense year on year after the initial value of the information gained has worn off. Companies seem unaware that for a fraction of the price they could have had the same information supplied using methods that are both legal and ethical competitive intelligence.Q.Which of the following are prerequisites for a career in CI gathering?

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Answer the following question based on the information given below.A competition requires Rahul to identify the odd weight in a group of weights, given that all the remaining weights are equal. He is given a regular pan balance to complete this task.Q.If Rahul is initially given 15 weights, how many iterations will 1 Marks he need to definitely pin-point the odd weight and whether it heavier or lighter than the other wieghts?a)3b)4c)5d)6Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
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