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c c
Aug 25, 2008, 11:28 AM
This is a 5th grade math problem. This is not a tricky question. This is a real math question so don't say that a bus has no legs.

There are 7 girls in a bus.
Each girl has 7 backpacks.
In each backpack, there are 7 big cats.
For every big cat there are 7 little cats.

Question: How many legs are there in the bus? There is no bus driver in this question.:eek:

NeedKarma
Aug 25, 2008, 11:31 AM
It's a multiplication question but there is information in that word problem that is not relevant (sneaky eh? :))

Just think of this: what has legs in that list of stuff in the bus? And many legs does each thing have.

NeedKarma
Aug 25, 2008, 12:23 PM
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c c
Aug 25, 2008, 01:04 PM
It's a multiplication question but there is information in that word problem that is not relevant (sneaky eh? :))

Just think of this: what has legs in that list of stuff in the bus? And many legs does each thing have.

OK is the irrelevant info the 7 small cats because it doesn't say they are in the bus nor the back packs? Or is it that the girls didn't bring the back packs?

All ways I thought of the problem are:
1) assuming all are in the bus...
for each girl there are 7 backpacks inside each are 7 big cats and 49 little cats then multiply by 4 legs then multiply by 7 since there are 7 girls then add two legs per 7 girls .
that would be 2401 cats X 4 legs 9,604 legs for each girl and x 7 for 7 girls + 14 legs for the total legs of all 7 girls.
I got 67242 legs in the bus

2) if the little cats are not on the bus then
it's just 7 big cats x 7 back packs x7 girls x 4 legs + 14 girl's legs. = 1386

7 girls x 7 backpacks X 7 cats per backpack so there are 343 cats then 343 cats + 14
1,386

Here are various answers I got and checked and they were not counted as correct.
1386
67242
9618

c c
Aug 25, 2008, 01:10 PM
7 little cats + 1 big cat = 8
8 x 7 big cats = 56
56 x 7 backpacks = 392
392 x 7 girls = 2744
2744 x 4 feet = 10976
10976 + (7 girls x 2 feet) = 10990

So there are 10990 total feet on the bus!!
This is what I think now in thinking another way...

Curlyben
Aug 25, 2008, 01:14 PM
Look again at the number for each part.
So;
Girls - X
Big cats - Y
Small cats - Z

Hints Y and Z are different numbers.

So then work out the number of legs.
Then add up.

** Edit - Do you understand WHY ?

NeedKarma
Aug 25, 2008, 01:17 PM
More hints

Here are the things with legs:
- girls
- small cats
- big cats

You'll have to know the amount of each creature above and multiply by the correct amount of legs for that creature.

Edit to add: Curly was thinking the same as I - I was sitting too long in edit mode, that'll teach me to multitask :)