Online logic game

Scales: find the heaviest or the lightest item

Also known as: balance scale puzzles, which is heavier, weighing logic puzzles

Each scale compares two items: the lower pan holds the heavier one. Put all the weighings together in your head and choose the right item. A round lasts a minute and a half, and you can play 10 minutes a day without signing up.

Go to the game ↓

1.5 minutesper round
3–6 itemsmore as you level up
No sign-up10 minutes a day
Progress30-day chart

What it trains

Why solve balance scale puzzles

The exercise works on logical inference: if the first item is heavier than the second, and the second is heavier than the third, then the first is the heaviest of all. The weighings are shown out of order, so you have to build the chain in your head. The higher the level, the more items and links. In each puzzle the items come from one group (fruit, vegetables, furniture, kitchen, tools or sports), and their weight in the game is made up: trust only the scales, not what you know about the items.

In your account the trainer has the same name: “Scales”. Once you sign up, your rounds are saved: you see your score, correct answers, mistakes and the highest level reached, and a 30-day chart shows how your results change.

You lose the thread when there are more than two factsA chain of several comparisons
Your child is learning “if…, then…” reasoningA visual inference puzzle
You get mixed up when the question is reversedThe question changes: sometimes the heaviest, sometimes the lightest
You want a short logic puzzleA minute and a half, no formulas or numbers

Logical inference

Get a third comparison out of two.

Working memory

Hold a chain of two to five weighings in your head.

Attentiveness

Read the question every time: is it the heaviest or the lightest?

Ordering

Line up the items by weight in your mind, from lightest to heaviest.

Rules

How to play

Start
Press “Start”. You’ll see scales with items and a question: which is the heaviest, or which is the lightest.
Read the scales
The lower pan holds the heavier item. Each scale compares just two items.
Build the chain
The weighings are shown out of order, and the heavier item can be on either pan. Put them together in your head.
Answer
Tap the right item at the bottom. If you’re wrong, we highlight the correct one.
Level
Three correct answers in a row move you up a level, and there are more items. A mistake moves you down one level. The round ends after a minute and a half.

Play online

Scales online

Compare the weighings and pick the item. Without signing up you get 10 minutes of play a day.

Scales

The scales show what’s heavier. Compare all the weighings in your head and find the heaviest (or lightest) item.

Free play left today without signing up: 10 min

Method

What the exercise is based on

The puzzle is built on transitive inference: if A is heavier than B, and B is heavier than C, then A is heavier than C. Tasks like this have long been used in the psychology of thinking and in school logic. Each weighing compares two items that are next to each other by weight, so there’s always exactly one answer.

A search for the rule, only with shapes, is in the Patterns trainer. To look for order in numbers, try Number Sequences.

3Three itemsLevels 1–2: two weighings

4Four itemsLevels 3–4: three weighings

5–6Five and sixLevels 5–6: four and five weighings

Who it’s for

Which ages

Adults

A short logic puzzle: a minute and a half, no numbers or formulas.

Kids

Included in the “Kids” collection. The puzzle is visual, with pictures and scales, and it starts with just three items. Suitable from age 6. Kids set

60+

The trainer isn’t in the “60+” collection. If you like logic puzzles, give it a try: there are only three items at first, and the level goes up after three correct answers in a row.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell which is heavier?

The pan that sits lower holds the heavier item. The heavier item can be on the left or on the right.

Why does it sometimes ask for the lightest?

The question is chosen at random: some puzzles ask for the heaviest item, others for the lightest. Read the question before you answer.

How are points awarded?

Each correct answer earns as many points as your current level. A mistake doesn’t take points away, but it drops your level by one.

Do I need to sign up?

No, you can play 10 minutes a day right away. A free account lets you keep playing, save your results, track your progress and unlock the daily workout.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes, the trainer runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers. There’s nothing to install.

Save your results and track your progress

Free sign-up: round history, a chart by skill and a daily workout of 5 exercises. No credit card needed.

All trainers

Scales: find the heaviest or the lightest item