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  • Dec 16, 2012, 09:55 PM
    mandyp183
    My family has stumped me
    3 guys need a hotel to for the night the lady said 30 dollars so they split it 3 ways which.it is10.00 $a piece. Then the lady remembers the room is on special for 25 dollars so she sends the bell hop up with 5 dollars. They each get a dollar and tip the bell hop 2 dollars. Where is the missing dollar...

    Because they ended up paying 27 dollars for the room 9 dollars a piece equaling to 27 but then 2 dollar tip for bell hop- were is the 1dollar
  • Dec 16, 2012, 10:03 PM
    Fr_Chuck
    No missing dollar, no idea where your 27 comes from

    30 minus 5 is 25

    You don't concern over 30 any longer,

    They got back 5, but only took one each back, 25 pus 3 is 28, not 27.

    The missing dollar is in the poor math
  • Dec 16, 2012, 10:11 PM
    dontknownuthin
    yeah - this is kind of goofy:

    Original price: $30
    Three men each pay $10: 3 x $10: $30
    Desk clerk refunds $5
    Bell hop keeps $2 of the refund: $5 - $2 = $3
    Three men each get $1 back: $3 - $3 = 0

    You're even.

    There are still some mysteries in this scenario though, which I could not figure out:

    - why are 3 men sharing a hotel room?
    - where on God's green earth can anyone find a $25 a night hotel with bellhop service?
    - why are you letting your relatives talk to you about math? They cleary are not informed on the subject!
  • Dec 17, 2012, 04:15 AM
    ScottGem
    I've been telling this riddle for for more than 40 years. It is a mathematical anomaly. When calculated one way: since each man initially paid $10, but got back $1 they paid $9 each and 3*9 is 27, plus the 2 for the bellhop makes $29 there does indeed seem to be a missing dollar. I'm not sure why this anomaly exists but it does.
  • Dec 17, 2012, 05:27 AM
    joypulv
    One way to look at this is to say that 30 doesn't belong; it never existed; it was wrong.
    The room cost 25. They paid 10 each. They got back 1 for each man and 2 for the hop. The numbers
    10 - 1 = 9
    3 x 9 - 2 = 25
    are all that exist in this scenario.
  • Dec 17, 2012, 11:37 AM
    dontknownuthin
    Yeah -

    They each paid $9. 9 x 3 = $27

    This adds up perfectly: $25 for the room and $2 for the bellhop = $27

    The error in your calculation, Scott, is that you're adding $2 to the total of $27 to get $29. The $27 already includes the $2 tip. It does not include the $1 each that were returned to the three men. Add that $1/each for the three men and you get to $30

    $25 - cost of room
    $2 - tip for bellhop
    $3 - $1 each returned to each of the three men

    $25 + $2 + $3 = $30 which, divided by 3 = $10 for each of the three men.
  • Dec 17, 2012, 12:05 PM
    joypulv
    Nobody calculated wrong. It's a trick puzzle.
  • Dec 17, 2012, 01:02 PM
    ScottGem
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by joypulv View Post
    Nobody calculated wrong. It's a trick puzzle.

    Exactly, it's a mathematical anomaly. But I like the explanation that the $2 is included in the $27, but not the $3.

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