3 nearly broke guys decided to share a hotel room. the sign outside the hotel said rooms for $30. They went inside and each paid $10 to the clerk. When the night clerk came on duty he realized the room was overcharged, because of a $25 special. The night clerk sent the bellboy up to their room with five $1 bills. The bellboy not being too smart did not know how to divide $5 among the three men. so he put $2 in his pocket and gave the three men the $3 to divide among themselves. This made each man paying $9 each. If $9 times 3 men = $27 plus the $2 the bell boy kept equalling $29, where did the other $1 go?
2006-06-29 10:52:24 · 14 answers · asked by Vlad 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
That is a good question
2006-06-29 11:59:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 4⤋
Since you are subracting the $5 from the $30, the answer is really the three men paid $10 each for $30, the bellboy returned $3 to each so each of the three men paid $9 for a total of $27 plus $2 dollars that the bellboy kept for a total of $30 or the $5 discount of which only $3 was realized by the three men and $2 was realized by the bellboy accounting for the $25 total price.
The end of the word puzzle is incorrect; it should be "...minus the $2 the bell boy kept equalling $25..."
2006-06-29 18:12:57 · answer #2 · answered by hydrasire 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you wanna get really odd there are actually and extra $2 floating around. If each guy paid $9 you get $27 for the room payment, plue the $2 the bellboy kept and them the other $3 that was refunded to the guys. You end up with $32 total.
But the answer is:
The guys each technically paid 8.33 since the bellboy kept the two dollars. If you add the .66 the bellboy should have split between the guy you get 8.99 plus the 1.00 that was refunded you come up with 9.99 with one guy getting shafted a penny.
2006-06-29 18:03:22 · answer #3 · answered by lavndrdream 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You subtract the $2, not add it. $9 times 3 men = $27, MINUS the $2 that the bellboy kept, so the total paid for the room was $25.
2006-06-29 17:59:43 · answer #4 · answered by stellarfirefly 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The $30 are distributed as follows:
the clerk has $25,
the bellboy has $2, and
each of the men has $1.
25+2+1*3=30
2006-06-29 17:58:37 · answer #5 · answered by er_i_m 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually the hotel received $25, the bell boy $2 as each of the three man paid $9 = $27.
2006-06-29 22:03:47 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Each man did not pay $9 each. Each man paid (owed to the hotel) 1/3 of $25, which is about $8.33. You just have to add up what money was owed back and add it up. $1 to each of them = 3, + the 2 the bellboy kept = the whole $5
2006-06-29 18:00:00 · answer #7 · answered by Barry B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are wrong to assume the $27 is the correct. The trick of the answer is to mislead everyone by telling them 3 x 9 = 27 part. If you figure it out 30 - 5 = 25, 25 - 2 = 3 then it works out right.
2006-06-29 18:00:55 · answer #8 · answered by mailmanfwi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well cos they were only paying £25 for the room now and the bell boy kept two pounds... the men payed £10 each got £1 back, that makes them paying £27 for a £25 room.. therefore they are missing £2 and those two pounds are the ones the bell boy kept!! lol.. it makes sense in my head!!
2006-06-29 18:07:19 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you put it into a series, you can't make an geometric series into an arithmetic that way. From the story, you need to multiply all the numbers, not just the one to "suit your needs". It's the same as the dieing old man and his sheep, in which he wants to divide it to his sons, but Had to add one, only reverse. I hope that this didn't go over your head.
2006-06-29 18:02:56 · answer #10 · answered by ipndrmath 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nowhere. $27 already includes $2 that the boy kept, so there is no $29 and no problem.
2006-06-29 17:58:25 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋