Silencer Posted March 4, 2005 Posted March 4, 2005 Sorry if you've heard this before. Three guys need to get a room for the night. The room costs $30 so they each chip in $10. After they get upstairs, the desk clerk realizes he made a mistake and the room should have only been $25, so he sends a bell hop up with $5 to give back to them. The bell hop decides that he's only going to give each guy $1 and keep the other $2 for himself, so that's what he does. So if each guy pays $10 and gets $1, then it's like they only payed $9. So 9 * 3 = 27. Add the $2 that the bell hop has and you get $29 for the room. Where did the other dollar go? I'm pretty sure I know it, but I'm not to sure of my explaination (which may mean I don't reall have it?). Plus I'd wait for you guys to respond anyway.
Cadmus Posted March 4, 2005 Posted March 4, 2005 SSo if each guy pays $10 and gets $1, then it's like they only payed $9. So 9 * 3 = 27. Add the $2 that the bell hop has and you get $29 for the room. Where did the other dollar go?You are using addition instead of subtraction. As you say, they paid $27 for the room. The hotel gets $25 and the bell hop get $2. There is no reason to add $2 above and beyond the $27 that they paid to get $29, a number devoid of meaning.
Ducky Havok Posted March 5, 2005 Posted March 5, 2005 much like Cadmus said, its the order that matters. What you really should do is subtract that two at the end, and you get $25 for the room, not $29. I've heard this problem many times before btw... maybe you should have put it in the brain teasers section? I'm sure they'd like it
Phospholipid Posted March 5, 2005 Posted March 5, 2005 There was a girl in the room too. He gave the other dollar to the girl. Oh snap!
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