Three guys go in to a hotel, each with $10 in his pocket. They book one room at $30 a night. A short while later, a fax from headquarters directs the hotel to charge $25 a night. So the receptionist gives the bellhop $5 to take to the three guys sharing a room. Since the bellhop never got a tip from them, and because he can’t split the $5 three ways, he decides to pocket $2 and give them each $1 back. So each of the guys now has spent $9, and the bellhop has $2, for a total of $29. Where’s the extra dollar?
-Frank Morgan, The Math Chat Book
3 comments:
oh, yar hor...
Think I'd heard this before, but I forgot the answer liao... This question is very interesting! Cracking my head now...
hmmm... let me think... If the bellboy took $2, the remaining should be $28.. If so, $28 also cannot divide by 3 person mah... strange... sigh... Me so stupid...
I know liao!!! After getting some help from friends!
This question is phrased in such a way to mislead us into assuming that we should start with a full figure $30...
Each man paid $10. And each man took back $1. Thus, actual room cost is only $27. Then the bellboy got $2 tip. So the total bill initially should be just $29!!
Right???
you are quite close, my dear girl..
actually the actual cost of room is $25 plus $2 tips so total is $27...
which means ea spend $9 times three of them is $27 and this sum include $2 tip liao. so the outflow in fact is only $27... was never $30 to start with.... tee hee.
Got it?
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