Math riddle - *confused*
By txtmarina
@txtmarina (3)
Pakistan
February 2, 2007 1:14am CST
Okay well... heres this really amazing math riddle that a friend asked me..I need help from someone who can explain how can this happen...
okay well.. there are 2 friends. they both buy a packet of chips to eat..the packet costs 50 bucks...so they give 25 each..they leave !
now when the shop owner comes to the shop to inquire abt the days sales he tells he shopkeeper that the packet was actually 45 bucks.. so he asks him to go and return the 5 bucks to those men...now he cheats..and keeps 2 bucks to himself and returns 3 bucks to the 2 guys..
now if u caluclate... 3/2 = they get 1.5 each..
so the chips now cost them 25-1.5 = 23.5 each
there fore, 23.5 + 23.5 + 47
theres 2 bucks with the shopkeeper....so.. 47 + 2 = 49
where did 1 buck go !!????
if u do it someothe way the answer will be right...what i wanna know is that,..why does it come wrong doing it this way!!!??
HELP....CANT SLEEP !!!! :p
1 person likes this
5 responses
@kagong678 (48)
• United States
2 Feb 07
I was just about to go to sleep until I ran into this post. Now I can't sleep either because I can't figure it out. What is the answer? I once thought that nothing can bend math but something as simple as a purchase of two packs of chips has made me rething the whole idea.
You must share the answer!
1 person likes this
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
1 Jan 08
I guess it has to be something with these half numbers and taking them apart and putting them back together, this really is a hard one :S
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
1 Jan 08
Ah, someone allready solved it. So sorry I didn't notice that before posting *blsuH* Please excuse me! Good to hear someone got it though!
@siddharthlife (462)
• India
2 Jan 08
Trust me, this puzzle is older than you think it is! And so common that its surprising people didn't know it before - what better way to treat this problem than to have it on the list of banned puzzles in the biggest puzzle community on orkut! Anyway, good going everyone but reason with yourself well before you can even think that mathematics may be inherently flawed!
@bludst0n3 (1)
• Pakistan
27 Mar 07
yar this is actally the FLAW of mathss or we can say it is the point at which the maths stopped itz work :P ahahahahhahahah.... let me freee yaaar ... m done with thinking
@walkinthecloudz (233)
• Pakistan
3 Sep 07
i agree with the doctor sahb. we dont have to consider price 50 caz the price is 45. that mean each had to pay 22.5 as their share. and 1.5 they got back that means total 22.5+1.5= 24 each and for two it is 48 and remaining 2 in the pocket of shopkeeper. isnt it easy.
