neat math riddle

Perhaps some have heard this before but I always liked it.
3 people check into a hotel and get a room (don't ask what for) and the clerk charges them $30 (its a dive). After a while the clerk decides he charged too much and gets the bellboy to give them $5 back. The bellboy decides to pocket $2 and give them $3 back. So in the end they each paid $9 dollars for the room so 3x9=27 and 2 the bellboy kept = 29 so where's the other dollar??

reply to post by saneguy


Quick-moving inflation. That or the ice machine.

Subtract the $2 from the $27, not add it, or else it will get counted twice!

This is more a play on words than a math riddle. When he says "and 2 the bellboy kept", we assume that "and" suggests we add, but really the meaning is "including", i.e. "including the 2 the bellboy kept." So the 27, which includes the bellboys cut, plus the three the customers received back = 30. At least, I think that's how this works.

Nice brain teaser

saneguy
Perhaps some have heard this before but I always liked it.

3 people check into a hotel and get a room (don't ask what for) and the clerk charges them $30 (its a dive). After a while the clerk decides he charged too much and gets the bellboy to give them $5 back. The bellboy decides to pocket $2 and give them $3 back. So in the end they each paid $9 dollars for the room so 3x9=27 and 2 the bellboy kept = 29 so where's the other dollar??

heheheh lol

Actually because this was divided three ways the bellboy stole 0.666666666666666 from each.

3 x 0.666666666666666 = £2

So in reality the men each paid 9.333333333333333 for the room.

Easy really!

Korg.

reply to post by saneguy


I knew there was something off about this problem. If he gave them five dollars back, one or more of those three people would have had to pay more than the others. Five does not go evenly into three, let along come out to a clean 9 bucks each. Honestly, they should be glad the bellboy took two bucks, or they'd be fighting over who gets the bigger cut.

Or you could start sawing pennies like Korg is suggesting.

AfterInfinity
reply to post by saneguy

 

Or you could start sawing pennies like Korg is suggesting.

edit on 6-3-2014 by AfterInfinity because: (no reason given)

With a fraction this small they would need a nail file lol

Korg.

reply to post by FatherStacks


It's 3x9 are 27 plus the three dollars he gave back equals 30 . Where did the nothing go ?

They Paid $9 each, not 9.3333, the problem is in the adding and not subtracting.

Hotel has $25, bellboy has $2 and now the group has $3($1 each)

The problem is in the way the question is asked it says the Group paid $27, the bellboy has $2 where's the one? That makes no sense, the group paid $27, of which $2 went to the bellboy and $25 went to the hotel. The other $3 is back in their pocket.

reply to post by Korg Trinity

So in reality the men each paid 9.333333333333333 for the room.

I don't see how that is true. They paid $30 then they got $3 back. That means they paid $27. Divide that by 3 and you have $9.

It seems the trick is in the wording. It's easy to see the total is $30 when you calculate how much each person has:

Clerk: $25 (gave $5 back to the bellboy)
Bellboy: $2 (gave the other $3 back to the men)
3 men: $3

25+2+3 = 30

ChaoticOrder
reply to post by Korg Trinity

 

So in reality the men each paid 9.333333333333333 for the room.

I don't see how that is true. They paid $30 then they got $3 back. That means they paid $27. Divide that by 3 and you have $9.

It seems the trick is in the wording. It's easy to see the total is $30 when you calculate how much each person has:

Clerk: $25 (gave $5 back to the bellboy)
Bellboy: $2 (gave the other $3 back to the men)
3 men: $3

25+2+3 = 30

How much did the bellboy steal from each of the men Chaotic?

Korg.

reply to post by Korg Trinity

How much did the bellboy steal from each of the men Chaotic?

I don't see how that is relevant. The simple fact is they paid $30 and then got $3 back. That means they paid $27. The trick is in the wording, PsychoEmperor explained it quite well.

Think about it this way... they go in and pay $27 right away. Then the clerk gives the bellboy $2 from the $27. In that case the $2 gets SUBTRACTED from the $27 and the clerk is left with $25, and the men are left with $3. Now it's easy to see why the wording is illogical.

ChaoticOrder
reply to post by Korg Trinity

 

How much did the bellboy steal from each of the men Chaotic?

I don't see how that is relevant. The simple fact is they paid $30 and then got $3 back. That means they paid $27. The trick is in the wording, PsychoEmperor explained it quite well.

It's relevant because it gives you the answer as to how much each man then paid for the room.

And that is where you get your answer from.

Peace,

Korg.

reply to post by Korg Trinity

It's relevant because it gives you the answer as to how much each man then paid for the room.

No it doesn't... you get the answer of how much they paid by simply subtracting what they got back from what they paid ($30-$3=$27). This isn't rocket science...

This is as old as dirt.
30 - 25 = 5
5 - 2 = 3

The problem for people happens when they read " 9 dollars each... 3×9=27 "

It's just nonsense that gets people confused, and the whole thing falls apart if you just read it twice. Laughable how many people get caught by this one.

ChaoticOrder
reply to post by Korg Trinity

 

It's relevant because it gives you the answer as to how much each man then paid for the room.

No it doesn't... you get the answer of how much they paid by simply subtracting what they got back from what they paid ($30-$3=$27). This isn't rocket science...

o.k. then....

Let's take the language out of the equation.

What is 2 divided by 3?

= 0.666666666666667

30 dived by 3.

= 10

10 minus 0.666666666666667

= 9.333333333333330

3 times 9.333333333333330

= 28

Do you follow?

Korg.

Korg Trinity

ChaoticOrder
reply to post by Korg Trinity

 

It's relevant because it gives you the answer as to how much each man then paid for the room.

No it doesn't... you get the answer of how much they paid by simply subtracting what they got back from what they paid ($30-$3=$27). This isn't rocket science...

o.k. then....

Let's take the language out of the equation.

What is 2 divided by 3?

= 0.666666666666667

so..

10 minus 0.666666666666667

= 9.333333333333330

3 times 9.333333333333330

= 28

Do you follow?

Korg.

Your attempt to sound smart and condescending to the Chaotic Order is really backfiring on you...

You're right that 2/3 is .66666667, however by your logic than you have to divide the 25(to the hotel) by 3 as well which is 8.333333333. Which means they EACH paid the hotel 8.333333333, they each paid the bellboy .6666666667 however they still only have $3 and they still only paid $27. Hopefully you can follow that, as i'm trying to use YOUR reasoning.

My original post explained quite fairly, the trick is in the wording.

reply to post by Korg Trinity


If you take language out of it you're just doing random calculations without explaining why.

If you think they paid a total of $28 you are absolutely wrong and I don't know what else to tell you...

PsychoEmperor

Korg Trinity

ChaoticOrder
reply to post by Korg Trinity

 

It's relevant because it gives you the answer as to how much each man then paid for the room.

No it doesn't... you get the answer of how much they paid by simply subtracting what they got back from what they paid ($30-$3=$27). This isn't rocket science...

o.k. then....

Let's take the language out of the equation.

What is 2 divided by 3?

= 0.666666666666667

so..

10 minus 0.666666666666667

= 9.333333333333330

3 times 9.333333333333330

= 28

Do you follow?

Korg.

Your attempt to sound smart and condescending to the Chaotic Order is really backfiring on you...

You're right that 2/3 is .66666667, however by your logic than you have to divide the 25(to the hotel) by 3 as well which is 8.333333333. Which means they EACH paid the hotel 8.333333333, they each paid the bellboy .6666666667 however they still only have $3 and they still only paid $27. Hopefully you can follow that, as i'm trying to use YOUR reasoning.

My original post explained quite fairly, the trick is in the wording.

Fine have it your way!

Enjoy debating the incorrect answer all you want!

Korg.

reply to post by Korg Trinity

Enjoy debating the incorrect answer all you want!

For christ sakes man... they handed $30 to the clerk and then got $3 back from the bellboy. You can use what ever mathematical mumbo jumbo you want to turn that into $28, but you are simply wrong and you need to deal with it.