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THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF WEIGHTS REQUIRED IS FIVE AND THESE SHOULD WEIGHT 1, 3, 9, 27 AND 81 POUNDS. THE MERCHANT HAS TO USE A BALANCE WEIGHING SCALE TO DO THE JOB. TO WEIGH 2 POUNDS, HE'LL HAVE TO PUT THE 3 POUND WEIGHT ON ONE PAN AND 1 POUND WEIGHT ON THE OTHER PAN. TO WEIGH 5 POUNDS, HE'LL HAVE TO PUT THE 9 POUND WEIGHT ON ONE PAN AND 1 AND 3 POUND WEIGHTS ON THE OTHER PAN THE WHOLE CEMENT BLOCK WEIGHS 3 POUNDS. ONE QUARTER OF THE CEMENT BLOCK WEIGHS THREE QUARTERS OF A POUND. SO, THE THE WHOLE BLOCK WOULD WEIGH (3⁄4 X 4) 3 POUNDS 3 POUNDS. SINCE 1⁄4 CAKE WEIGHS 3⁄4 POUND, AN ENTIRE CAKE WEIGHS 3 POUNDS NO, IT DOES NOT COLLAPSE. BECAUSE IT HAS DRIVEN A HALF MILE - YOU WOULD SUBTRACT THE GAS USED FROM THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE TRUCK