Henry Ernest Dudeney/Modern Puzzles/186 - The False Scales

Modern Puzzles by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $186$

The False Scales

A pudding, when placed into one of the pans of a balance, appeared to weigh $4$ ounces more than $\tfrac 9 {11}$ of its true weight,

but when placed into the other pan it appeared to weigh $3$ pounds more than in the first pan.

What was its true weight?

Sources

• 1926: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Modern Puzzles ... (previous) ... (next): Measuring, Weighing, and Packing Puzzles: $186$. -- The False Scales
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Weight Puzzles: $97$. The False Scales