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_ N _ Clue
SPLIT THE BALLS INTO 3 GROUPS WITH 3 BALLS EACH. PICK 2 GROUPS AND USE SCALE TO DETERMINE WHICH GROUP CONTAINS THE HEAVY BALL. ONCE THE GROUP IS DETERMINED, PICK 2 BALLS AND USE THE SCALE. IF THEY ARE EQUAL, THE OTHER BALL IS THE HEAVY ONE SPLIT THE PILLS INTO 3 GROUPS - 2 GROUPS WITH 3 PILLS EACH AND 1 GROUP WITH 2 PILLS. NOW PUT THE 2 GROUPS OF 3 PILLS ON THE SCALE. SCENARIO #1: BOTH GROUPS WEIGH THE SAME. THIS MEANS THAT THE POISONOUS PILL IS IN THE GROUP WITH 2 PILLS. SO TAKE THE 2 PILLS FROM THAT GROUP AND USE THE SCALE TO DETERMINE THE POISONOUS PILL. SCENARIO #2: ONE GROUP WEIGHS MORE THAN THE OTHER. TAKE ANY 2 PILLS FROM THIS GROUP OF 3 PILLS. IF THEY WEIGH THE SAME, THEN THE 3RD PILL IS THE POISONOUS PILL. IF THEY DON'T WEIGH THE SAME, THEN THE HEAVIER ONE IS OBVIOUSLY THE POISONOUS PILL SPLIT THE MARBLES INTO 3 GROUPS WITH 4 MARBLES EACH. PICK 2 GROUPS AND USE THE SCALE TO DETERMINE WHICH GROUP CONTAINS THE HEAVIER MARBLE. IF THE 2 GROUPS WEIGH THE SAME, THE HEAVIER MARBLE IS IN THE 3RD GROUP. ONCE THE GROUP IS DETERMINED, SPLIT THE MARBLES INTO 2 GROUPS WITH 2 MARBLES EACH. USE THE SCALE TO DETERMINE THE GROUP THAT CONTAINS THE HEAVIER MARBLE. LASTLY, USE THE SCALE TO WEIGH THE 2 REMAINING MARBLES TO DETERMINE THE HEAVIER MARBLE TAKE 6 BALLS AND SPLIT THEM INTO 2 GROUPS OF 3 BALLS EACH. USE THE SCALE TO WEIGH THE 2 GROUPS. IF ONE OF THE GROUPS IS HEAVIER THAN THE OTHER GROUP, PICK 2 BALLS FROM THE HEAVIER GROUP AND USE THE SCALE TO WEIGH THEM. IF THEY ARE EQUAL IN WEIGHT, THE OTHER BALL IN THAT GROUP IS THE HEAVY ONE. IF BOTH THE GROUPS ARE EQUAL IN WEIGHT, THEN PICK THE REMAINING 2 BALLS AND USE THE SCALE TO DETERMINE THE HEAVIER BALL