Quote:
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Originally Posted by nrclark
Who can figure this out????
3 MEN GO INTO A MOTEL. THE MAN BEHIND THE DESK SAID THE ROOM IS
$30, SO EACH MAN PAID $10 AND WENT TO THE ROOM.
A WHILE LATER THE MAN BEHIND THE DESK REALIZED THE ROOM WAS ONLY
$25, SO HE SENT THE BELLBOY TO THE 3 GUYS' ROOM WITH $5.
ON THE WAY, THE BELLBOY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPLIT $5
EVENLY BETWEEN 3 MEN, SO HE GAVE EACH MAN A $1 AND KEPT THE OTHER
$2 FOR HIMSELF.
THIS MEANT THAT THE 3 MEN EACH PAID $9 FOR THE
ROOM, WHICH IS A TOTAL OF $27, ADD THE $2 THAT THE BELLBOY KEPT
$29.
Where is the other dollar .... ?  |
Each man pays $10: 10 + 10 + 10 = 30
Five dollars is to be returned: 30 - 5 = 25
Only three is returned: 25 + 3 = 28
Two dollars is kept by the bell boy (who can't figure out how to pay them each 1.66): 30 - 28 = 2
The problem is that the construction of the math in the story, as has been said, is out of order. When using just addition or just subtraction, it doesn't matter what order to add or subtract in. When you have a problem with addition and subtraction, and division, you need to maintain the order. The idea that each man paid $9 is incorrect. They each paid a total of 30 - 3...but you forgot the other part of the equation. It actually goes: 25 = 30 - (3 + 2).
I think the real question put fourth is: what did they pay? They paid 30, then they received back 3 = 27. The bell boy took 2 from that for himself, which means that the hotel only got 25.