Math question
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3 tired people who are travelling together decide to stop off and get a room for the night. They stop off at a cheap motel. The desk clerk says "there is only one room left and it costs $30.00 for the night". The travellers decide to share the room, and each person chips in $10.00.(3x10=30 right?)
The 3 travellers head up to their room, when the desk clerk realizes he has made a mistake.
The room was supposed to be only $25.00 for the night.
The clerk takes $5.00 from the register, hands it to his assistant, and asks the assistant to give the $5.00 back to the travellers.
On his way up to their room, the assistant pockets $2.00.
He then returns $1.00 each to the 3 the travellers (2+3=5 right?).
Each traveller has now only spent $9.00 each for the room.($9.00 x 3 = $27.00)
Plus the $2.00 the assistant pocketed only makes $29.00
What happened to the other dollar??
The 3 travellers head up to their room, when the desk clerk realizes he has made a mistake.
The room was supposed to be only $25.00 for the night.
The clerk takes $5.00 from the register, hands it to his assistant, and asks the assistant to give the $5.00 back to the travellers.
On his way up to their room, the assistant pockets $2.00.
He then returns $1.00 each to the 3 the travellers (2+3=5 right?).
Each traveller has now only spent $9.00 each for the room.($9.00 x 3 = $27.00)
Plus the $2.00 the assistant pocketed only makes $29.00
What happened to the other dollar??
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 471
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
No, you're looking at it wrong... they paid $27 for a $25 room... you're adding wrong! They paid $30, were refunded $5, had $2 taken from them, so that makes $27. Or think of it in terms of what they actually owed... $25/3 = $8.33 each, for the room. They each paid $10, and were refunded $1, so they each paid $9. That $0.66 difference between what they actually owed and what it actually cost comes out to be $2 (when you multiply it by 3). You can trust basic math! You're thinking of it in terms of them having initially paid $30... the wording of the question tries to shape your thoughts!
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 952
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From: Charlotte, NC
it was split between the 3 of them when they paid for the room, 25/3=8.33, in other words, 8 and 1/3, take the 1/3 and multiply it times 3, there is your last dollar. It isn't exactly 9 dollars a person, thats what they gave them, they had the 2 dollars taken from them. 27+2 does equal 29, but they also had the extra change for the room per person, that is where your dollar went...........It is accounted for, it's a mind trick, they didn't really pay $9 each for the room, they actually paid 27 for a $25 room and then received $3 back, I know that sounds a little confusing, its kinda hard to explain like that, lol.
But the funtest would be great
But the funtest would be great
The Pacifier
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,245
Likes: 7
From: Cloverdale, BC
No, no, no. You're all wrong.
$30 paid. Refunded $5. So that means there's $25. Right? The clerk gives each guest another dollar. So that brings it to $28. And the clerk keeps $2 for himself, which, if you add it up, equals $30 again.
That story was written to confuse for sure. And they didn't pay $9 each. They paid a hair over $9.33. What they should have paid was $8.33.
$30 paid. Refunded $5. So that means there's $25. Right? The clerk gives each guest another dollar. So that brings it to $28. And the clerk keeps $2 for himself, which, if you add it up, equals $30 again.
That story was written to confuse for sure. And they didn't pay $9 each. They paid a hair over $9.33. What they should have paid was $8.33.
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Michigan
That's what I said!! They were cheated out of their $2. But bigrigfixer, you're adding and subtracting different things! Look at it in terms of money in vs. money out. The men each paid $9 because initially they each paid $10 but were given back $1 each. That makes it $9 each paid OUT total. But also look at the price of the room... it changed from $30, which they'd initially paid, to $25, however, in the end they paid $27. There's a $2 difference because that dude took their $2, since they didn't know their price had changed beyond that $27. There's no extra dollar!!!
Bigrigfixer, you're adding things twice... the cost was $25 but the price they paid was $30. Five dollars "refunded", but they only saw $3 of it and the clerk kept the rest, meaning they paid $30 (out) minus $3 (b/c they got it back) which is $27. You added their refund to the actual cost of the room...
Bigrigfixer, you're adding things twice... the cost was $25 but the price they paid was $30. Five dollars "refunded", but they only saw $3 of it and the clerk kept the rest, meaning they paid $30 (out) minus $3 (b/c they got it back) which is $27. You added their refund to the actual cost of the room...
Senior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 386
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they gave $10 each.. 10x3 =30 ...supposed to have got back 5 each..couldn't split 3 ways so gave them 1 each..so 30-3=27...there was 2 dolalrs left from that $5 after he gave them 3 bucks each...27+2=29...where is that dollar?...lol..
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 748
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
LOL
Amount paid-$30
Real amount-$25
so $30-25=$5
Man 1-$1
Man 2-$1
Man 3-$1
Worker-$2
So $1+1+1+2=$5
$25+5=$30
Or
Amount paid-$30
Real amount-$25
so $30-25=$5
Man 1-$1
Man 2-$1
Man 3-$1
Worker-$2
So $25+$1+1+1=$28
$28+2=$30
Heh,I acually decied to figure it out.
Amount paid-$30
Real amount-$25
so $30-25=$5
Man 1-$1
Man 2-$1
Man 3-$1
Worker-$2
So $1+1+1+2=$5
$25+5=$30
Or
Amount paid-$30
Real amount-$25
so $30-25=$5
Man 1-$1
Man 2-$1
Man 3-$1
Worker-$2
So $25+$1+1+1=$28
$28+2=$30
Heh,I acually decied to figure it out.
Last edited by Country Sweetie; Mar 17, 2005 at 10:55 PM.
The Pacifier
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,245
Likes: 7
From: Cloverdale, BC
AW come on.
They didn't pay $9.00. The fact that the price of the room is $25 proves this. You are charged $25 for a room. You give $30, you get $5 back. If you give away or lose $3 on the way to your room, you still have $2.
All it is is a play on words. The person who came up with this puzzle just posed the idea that 3x9=27. That is the confusing part. The fact is, these 3 poor suckers paid $28 for a $25 room, and not $27 like you are so willing to believe.
edit: I see you got it. Great!
They didn't pay $9.00. The fact that the price of the room is $25 proves this. You are charged $25 for a room. You give $30, you get $5 back. If you give away or lose $3 on the way to your room, you still have $2.
All it is is a play on words. The person who came up with this puzzle just posed the idea that 3x9=27. That is the confusing part. The fact is, these 3 poor suckers paid $28 for a $25 room, and not $27 like you are so willing to believe.
edit: I see you got it. Great!
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 471
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
No, they PAID $30, were refunded $3. $30 - $3 = $27. $27 - $2 = $25 (COST of the room) Cost and amount paid are different things.
If they'd been refunded the $2 they would have paid $28 for the room...
If they'd been refunded the $2 they would have paid $28 for the room...