Goofy Math Riddle

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

This one tends to stump normal, ostensibly intelligent people. I suspect, however, that the denizens of this swamp will nail it quickly.

3 guys check into a motel. The desk clerk says the room is $30, so each guy hands him a $10. The 3 guys go to the room.

A bit later, the manager sees the registration and tells the desk clerk he made a mistake and the room is only $25. desk clerk takes 5 $1 bills and heads to the room. The 3 guys in the room thank him, each takes $1 back and gives the desk clerk a $2 tip.

Now each guy spent $10 - $1 change = $9 x 3 = $27 + $2 tip = $29

Where's the other $1 go?

(note): please take any speculation on what the 3 guys are doing in one room over to the *homosexuality* thread /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[billygrippo]

well the cleark still has 2$ extra, plus he now has an extra 3$ total from the tips. so the romm cost 33$ now.

[Who Shot JR]

I remember this riddle from when I was a kid /images/graemlins/smile.gif

It's all in the problem statement actually. The deceiving part is that 9x3=27, and 27+2=29.

Of course, this is true, but it's far from an accurate picture of how the $5 is disbursed. It's really 9x3=27, and 27-2=25. So the entire $5 that the manager gives back is accounted for.

[wh1t3bread]

Well actually each dude has $1.
The Hotel has $25.
The Clerk has $2.

($1 x 3) + $25 + $2 = $30

That's an old riddle, haven't seen that one for a while.

[billygrippo]

[ QUOTE ]
The 3 guys in the room thank him, each takes $1 back and gives the desk clerk a $2 tip.

[/ QUOTE ]

isnt this saying that each guy in the room gives the clerk 2$?

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Sorry. Change line to say, "they let the clerk keep $2 as a tip."

sheesh. I post a math riddle and get my composition skills critiqued. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[mostsmooth]

anybody know the one where theres three boxes and one has a prize and you pick one and then the host shows you an empty box and asks if you want to change? anybody heard of that one?

[Pauwl]

Together they spend $25 on the room. So each guy spends 25/3 = 8.33$ on the room. They got $1 change each and together left a tip of 2$.

Adding all the money you get (3 x $8.33) + (3 x $1) + 2$ = $30

In the question, they only account for the boys' 9$ a piece on the room, but that's incomplete, they actually spent $8.33 each on the room and each got $1 back. So the equation in the question should have been (3 x (8.33 + 1)) + $2 tip = $30. So the answer to the question is that the other $1 goes to the guys having homosexual sex in the room /images/graemlins/grin.gif.

edit:grammar

[hmkpoker]

Each guy spent $8.33 on the room and $.67 on the tip. The exchange caused fractions in the payments to appear which, when paid in sum, looked like whole dollars, hence the confusion.

[hmkpoker]

The Monty Hall situation, discussed to death.

[mostsmooth]

[ QUOTE ]
The Monty Hall situation, discussed to death.

[/ QUOTE ]
really?
i guess its pretty obvious to not change then?

[graydot]

Is the problem really because of the fractions or is it because its worded incorrectly. Or just that you can look at it both ways?

[ThinkQuick]

[ QUOTE ]
Is the problem really because of the fractions or is it because its worded incorrectly. Or just that you can look at it both ways?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never looked at it in terms of the fractions, but I guess that solves it too.
I always thought the real problem was the wording and math... as in 9*3-2=25 accounts for all the money no problem, but the question says 9*3+2=29, which uses numbers from the problem but not correctly.