Final answer:
To ensure equal mass on each side, the farmer can distribute the bags of potatoes by initially placing four bags on each side and then adjusting the weight by removing and replacing bags until the mass is balanced.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve this problem, the farmer needs to distribute the bags of potatoes in a way that ensures equal mass on each side. Since there are eight bags, he can start by placing four bags on one side and four bags on the other side.
However, he may notice that one side is heavier than the other. To fix this, he can remove two bags from the heavier side and weigh them against two bags from the lighter side. If the two bags from the heavier side are heavier, he can remove one bag from that side and replace it with one from the lighter side. If the bags weigh the same, he can repeat this process with a different set of two bags until he finds the balanced configuration.
Continuing this process, the farmer will eventually find a configuration where the mass on each side is equal after weighing different combinations of bags until the desired balance is achieved.
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