Ask Me Help Desk

Ask Me Help Desk (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forum.php)
-   Mathematics (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=199)
-   -   If man & 1/2 can eat pie & 1/2 in 1 min. & 1/2 how many men to eat 17 pies in 30 min. (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=708555)

  • Oct 12, 2012, 08:37 AM
    kelleyad
    If man & 1/2 can eat pie & 1/2 in 1 min. & 1/2 how many men to eat 17 pies in 30 min.
    Math brain teaser
  • Oct 12, 2012, 09:23 AM
    ebaines
    I think you may have an error in the way you stated the problem, as it works out to less than one man. I will restate the problem to make sure I understand it correctly: if a man and a half can eat a pie and a half in a minute and a half, how many men does it take to eat 17 pies in 30 minutes? Although perhaps I should think of this as riddle rather than a math question - after all how could anyone eat 17 pies at a go?

    I like a different version of this brain teaser - one that almost always fools people unless they think carefully: if a chicken and a half lays an egg and a half in a day and a half, how long does it it take one chicken to lay one egg?
  • Oct 12, 2012, 01:35 PM
    kelleyad
    The question/riddle is asking how many men (plural) to eat 17 pies in 30 mins; are you saying this is unsolvable?
  • Oct 12, 2012, 01:44 PM
    Curlyben
    That would be ONE Adam Richman ;)
  • Oct 12, 2012, 01:55 PM
    ebaines
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by kelleyad View Post
    the question/riddle is asking how many men (plural) to eat 17 pies in 30 mins; are you saying this is unsolvable?

    Not at all, it's quite easy. Hint - the rate at which a single man can consume pies is 2/3 of a pie per minute. Which means all by himself a single man can consume 20 pies in 30 minutes, and hence to finish off only 17 pies takes one man less than 30 minutes.
  • Oct 15, 2012, 07:37 AM
    kelleyad
    You're a genius! Thank you.

  • All times are GMT -7. The time now is 05:52 AM.