Comments on: Math Puzzle - Case of the Missing Dollar(?) Part 1 http://mathmojo.com/chronicles/2008/02/10/math-puzzle-case-of-the-missing-dollar/ The Official Blog of MathMojo.com - helping public school, homeschooling, unschooling students, parents, teachers and adults learn math with easy and effective methods. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:45:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: J. Aragonesi http://mathmojo.com/chronicles/2008/02/10/math-puzzle-case-of-the-missing-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-53053 J. Aragonesi Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:00:32 +0000 http://mathmojo.com/chronicles/2008/02/10/math-puzzle-case-of-the-missing-dollar/#comment-53053 Great problem--took some thought. Thanks Great problem–took some thought. Thanks

]]> By: Laurie http://mathmojo.com/chronicles/2008/02/10/math-puzzle-case-of-the-missing-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-46168 Laurie Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:56:45 +0000 http://mathmojo.com/chronicles/2008/02/10/math-puzzle-case-of-the-missing-dollar/#comment-46168 My Dad loved these kinds of puzzles and I've known this one ever since I can remember. So, while I can't vouch for thousands of years, I can safely say this is at least 50 years old. I've known the answer for nearly 50 years as well. I've also asked this puzzle several times. My Dad loved these kinds of puzzles and I’ve known this one ever since I can remember. So, while I can’t vouch for thousands of years, I can safely say this is at least 50 years old. I’ve known the answer for nearly 50 years as well. I’ve also asked this puzzle several times.

]]> By: Mark Schooley http://mathmojo.com/chronicles/2008/02/10/math-puzzle-case-of-the-missing-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-43164 Mark Schooley Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:10:05 +0000 http://mathmojo.com/chronicles/2008/02/10/math-puzzle-case-of-the-missing-dollar/#comment-43164 My Dear Professor, I started to write an equation, because properly written equations can solve all counting problems, but then realized that this was pointless, because adding 2 dollars to the 27 dollars the guests paid did not reflect what happened. They paid $27. Period. The $2 withheld by the bellboy did not constitute an additional $2 cost above the $27, it represented money refunded by the manager that didn't get refunded to the guests. So the problem is $27 paid by the guests, MINUS the $2 "carrying charge" of the bellboy = $25 received by the motel's manager. Here's a good one: http://www.smart-kit.com/s283/the-missing-square-where-does-it-come-from/ Hint: Don't glibly assume something to be true from visual inspection that is not! My Dear Professor,

I started to write an equation, because properly written equations can solve all counting problems, but then realized that this was pointless, because adding 2 dollars to the 27 dollars the guests paid did not reflect what happened. They paid $27. Period. The $2 withheld by the bellboy did not constitute an additional $2 cost above the $27, it represented money refunded by the manager that didn’t get refunded to the guests. So the problem is $27 paid by the guests, MINUS the $2 “carrying charge” of the bellboy = $25 received by the motel’s manager.

Here’s a good one:

http://www.smart-kit.com/s283/.....come-from/

Hint: Don’t glibly assume something to be true from visual inspection that is not!

]]> By: Khaled http://mathmojo.com/chronicles/2008/02/10/math-puzzle-case-of-the-missing-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-41450 Khaled Tue, 12 Feb 2008 02:38:19 +0000 http://mathmojo.com/chronicles/2008/02/10/math-puzzle-case-of-the-missing-dollar/#comment-41450 It took me a few minutes to wrap my head around this one. I won't put up a solution, but I'll say that I'm quite impressed. This is a cool problem. It confused me simply because I began tackling it with the assumption that everything stated in the problem text was entirely accurate. Interesting how, once you assume that you can implicitly trust a given source, you can be led through any logic, or illogic, and have a lot of trouble pulling yourself back to a critical mindset. It took me a few minutes to wrap my head around this one. I won’t put up a solution, but I’ll say that I’m quite impressed.

This is a cool problem. It confused me simply because I began tackling it with the assumption that everything stated in the problem text was entirely accurate. Interesting how, once you assume that you can implicitly trust a given source, you can be led through any logic, or illogic, and have a lot of trouble pulling yourself back to a critical mindset.

]]> By: Karkuskwak http://mathmojo.com/chronicles/2008/02/10/math-puzzle-case-of-the-missing-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-41175 Karkuskwak Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:30:46 +0000 http://mathmojo.com/chronicles/2008/02/10/math-puzzle-case-of-the-missing-dollar/#comment-41175 Haha, it's weird that you don't think about it right away! I' must have stared at the screen for a good 5 mins trying to figure this out! But when you think of it, it's simple. They give $30. They each get back 3 bucks, they've therefore only payed $27 total. The confusing part is that the guy gives $5 to the bellboy instead of $3. So, 9+9+9 = 27. 27+5 = 32! I felt stupid when is realised how simple it was. First time I came across it by the way. Professor Homunculus sez: At first glance this answer may look confusing. It was submitted as the answer to the way the question was originally worded here at the Math Mojo Chronicles. It's a bit different from the answer to the newly worded version, above, but a similar kind of thinking will solve the new version. By the way, there are lots of ways to look at the problem to get the correct answer. Haha, it’s weird that you don’t think about it right away! I’ must have stared at the screen for a good 5 mins trying to figure this out! But when you think of it, it’s simple. They give $30. They each get back 3 bucks, they’ve therefore only payed $27 total. The confusing part is that the guy gives $5 to the bellboy instead of $3. So, 9+9+9 = 27. 27+5 = 32! I felt stupid when is realised how simple it was. First time I came across it by the way.

Professor Homunculus sez:

At first glance this answer may look confusing. It was submitted as the answer to the way the question was originally worded here at the Math Mojo Chronicles. It’s a bit different from the answer to the newly worded version, above, but a similar kind of thinking will solve the new version.

By the way, there are lots of ways to look at the problem to get the correct answer.

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