Dice Problem

Can you spot the problem?

I bought these dice ages ago, with the intention of taking 'Vegas by storm. One of them is loaded and one of them is not. Sneaky. Only difficultly is that the package doesn't tell me which is the loaded one.

Any ideas for tests I can perform to be absolutely sure which is the loaded die?

Comments

[Nick Taylor]

Brute force solution: Cut them open!

[Alcides]

a) Read carefully the box/instructions. Like the little words.

b) And this is the bruteforce: Throw both of them 500+ times and make a chart of the results. The loaded on will come out.

[Alex]

@Alcides,

b) Doing that will only get you a high probability that one is the loaded one. You can't actually find out with _absolute_ certainty that the unloaded one didn't by chance produce a result like a loaded one. (it may only be a minute chance of happening, but it's possible enough to not be absolute certain - darn probability)...

Nicks solution sounds really brute force :)

[Simon]

Hold or suspend by diagonally oposed corners horizontally. The loaded face will always fall bellow the diagonal. By alternating the diagonal it will determine the loaded face.

[Lee...]

Place them in a cup of water.

[Rob]

Ha. Cup of water. I'm glad someone got there. That is how you are supposed to do it. The loaded die will always float the same way up, and return that way if you tip it over.

The fact is that if you want to be absolutely convinced which is the dodgy die you have to do something like that. Anything which is based on statistical analysis will never give you a definite result, only a probability whicn can never be one.

[JDog]

I was going to say just weight the dice, i'm sure the loaded die is the heavier.

[Simon]

Isn't the 'cup of water' solution based on the assumption the die float? I think that casino die are usually solid perpex (and translucent to more easily detect if they're loaded). So a condition for that solution is that the SG is less than that of water. Wouldn't it be safer to assume that it's less than that of air?

PS: SG of perspex = 1.19 / water = 1

[Rob]

If the die sink it still works. You just have to use a glass so you can see which face goes uppermost as the dice sink to the bottom.

[Kris]

A) Run a stud detector over the dice, as they are weighted with lead in the 1.

b) give it to a Dungeons and Dragons player. We know these things.