Spectrum #50: Order these coins by weight — the solution
The Spectrum puzzle from October 3, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, lightest to heaviest, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.
The puzzle
Order these coins by weight, lightest at the top and heaviest at the bottom. The board opened in this order:
- Penny
- Quarter
- Dime
- Dollar coin
- Half dollar
- Nickel
Nothing was in its place; Nickel opened 3 places from home.
The walkthrough
The ends first. Dime is the lightest of the six at 2.27 g and Half dollar the heaviest at 11.34 g. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.
Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between Dollar coin (8.1 g) and Half dollar (11.34 g) — 3.24 g apart. Everything above that line belongs on the lightest side and everything below it on the heaviest side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.
The closest call. Dime (2.27 g) and Penny (2.5 g) are only 0.22999999999999998 g apart — the pair that is a coin flip without the figures, and the place to spend a check: a check locks whatever is already right and leaves only the wrong tiles to swap.
The answer
| # | Lightest to Heaviest | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dime | 2.27 g |
| 2 | Penny | 2.5 g |
| 3 | Nickel | 5 g |
| 4 | Quarter | 5.67 g |
| 5 | Dollar coin | 8.1 g |
| 6 | Half dollar | 11.34 g |
Previous: Spectrum #49 (Fri, Oct 2)
About Spectrum
Spectrum is Noggin’s daily ordering puzzle: six things, one hidden scale, three checks. Tiles in the right place lock green; the figures turn over when the board is done. How to play Spectrum, or play today’s.