Riddle Puzzle sort of

math9maniac · 2016-05-01 08:19:59

A shirt costs $ 97.00 but you have
no cash, so you borrow $50 from your
Mum and $50 from your Dad and you now
have $100. After buying the
shirt for $ 97.00, you have $ 3.00
left. You return $1.00 to your Dad and $ 1.00 to your Mum and $1.00 for yourself. Now you owe your mum $49 and your
Dad $49 so 49+49=98 plus the $1
with u is $99.

WHERE IS THE
MISSING $1.00?

What's the answer?

I have something in mind. I only want to verify because there seems to be an argument here. Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Relentless · 2016-05-01 09:19:37

Hi, I won't articulate it very well right now, but there is no missing dollar, as there is no reason that those three amounts should add up to $100. The two 49s and the two 1s you already gave back have to add to 100; the 1 you still have in your possession has nothing to do with the amount needing to be returned.

phrontister · 2016-05-01 15:33:27

math9maniac wrote:

Now you owe your mum $49 and your Dad $49 so 49+49=98 plus the $1 with u is $99.

Yes, that is $1 less than $100...which is the initial amount of Mum and Dad's loan.

However, the above quote should read: Now you owe your mum $49 and your Dad $49 so 49+49=98 less the $1 with u is $97...which is the cost of the shirt.

Adding, instead of subtracting, the $1 only seems to be going in the right direction with it because of the close proximity of $99 to $100. If the $100 were some other figure - like $1,000,000 - it would be obvious that something was up, even though one figure is just as (ir)relevant as the other.

The correct sum for arriving at $100 is this:
$49 + $49 + the $2 already returned to Mum and Dad = $100...which is the initial amount of Mum and Dad's loan.

Last edited by phrontister (2016-05-01 18:28:05)

math9maniac · 2016-05-01 18:41:22

Thanks so much guys. I also had the strong conviction even before posting here that no money had gone missing. It was an argument between my Mum and sister; they didn't agree with me when I explained as above. My Mum, knowing my ties with MIFF asked me to put it up here. She'll only believe what is said here. Thanks, now I'm vindicated.

You see, Math is for everyone, but was not made for everyone.

phrontister · 2016-05-01 20:28:10

You're welcome!

At the end of my previous post I'd included a link to a similar puzzle that I posted in 2009, but then deleted it because when I read the thread I thought I'd made a critical error in one of the posts.

However, I checked it again just now and all seems to be ok, so here's the link again if you'd like to have a look at it: The missing dollar (& the 2 extra dollars).

math9maniac · 2016-05-01 20:47:33

I noticed the link had gone off, but as I was interested, I searched for it. I've seen that one too just now. Thanks phrontister.

Math Is Fun Forum

#1 2016-05-01 08:19:59

Riddle Puzzle sort of

#2 2016-05-01 09:19:37

Re: Riddle Puzzle sort of

#3 2016-05-01 15:33:27

Re: Riddle Puzzle sort of

#4 2016-05-01 18:41:22

Re: Riddle Puzzle sort of

#5 2016-05-01 20:28:10

Re: Riddle Puzzle sort of

#6 2016-05-01 20:47:33

Re: Riddle Puzzle sort of

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