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Topic: Where is the other dollar? (Read 3579 times) |
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Adnama
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Where is the other dollar?
« on: Aug 12th, 2004, 9:50am » |
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I tried to search, but it kept saying there was a server error, so sorry if this is a repeat . . .
Three men go into a hardware store to buy a $30 lawnmower. They each have only a $10 bill which they give to the cashier. However, the cashier informs the men that the lawnmower is on sale for $25 and asks how they would like her to split the change of $5 between them. None of the men want change, so they ask her to give each of them a dollar back and she can keep the other $2. So, each man has paid $9 for the lawnmower. $9 x 3 men equals $27. Add the $2 that the cashier kept and you have $29. Where is the other dollar?
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towr
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #1 on: Aug 12th, 2004, 10:45am » |
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on Aug 12th, 2004, 9:50am, Adnama wrote:| I tried to search, but it kept saying there was a server error, so sorry if this is a repeat . . . |
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You probably wouldn't have found it even if the search function was working well. This riddle is usually stated with three men renting a motel room, rather than buying a lawnmower. 
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| « Last Edit: Aug 12th, 2004, 10:48am by towr » |
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Wikipedia, Google, Mathworld, Integer sequence DB
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Grimbal
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #2 on: Aug 16th, 2004, 6:15am » |
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The first time I heard the riddle, it was a restaurant bill.
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Speaker
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #3 on: Aug 17th, 2004, 1:10am » |
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The first time I heard it, it was a hotel bill, with the bellboy pocketing 2 dollars.
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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. <Ben Franklin>
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evergreena3
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #4 on: Aug 18th, 2004, 2:08pm » |
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The first time I heard it, I was 4 years old.
(I'm 27 now)
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You're welcome! (get it?)
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BNC
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #5 on: Aug 19th, 2004, 1:39am » |
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on Aug 18th, 2004, 2:08pm, evergreena3 wrote:The first time I heard it, I was 4 years old.
(I'm 27 now) |
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And the first time I heard it, you were (-4)...
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How about supercalifragilisticexpialidociouspuzzler [Towr, 2007]
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Grimbal
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #6 on: Aug 21st, 2004, 3:44pm » |
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So, in year 4 before evergreena3, was it a restaurant bill, a motel bill, or something else?
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BNC
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #7 on: Aug 21st, 2004, 10:21pm » |
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restaurant bill... but it's all the same anyway...
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How about supercalifragilisticexpialidociouspuzzler [Towr, 2007]
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Grimbal
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #8 on: Feb 25th, 2005, 3:45pm » |
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I have an old german book printed in spring 1941 that contains this riddle. The first edition is in 1921, but I could have been added later.
There, it is already a restaurant bill. Three men pay 10 "Krone" each, but the meal costs only 25, so the waiter takes 2 as a tip and returns one Krone to each.
If we ever manage to find that missing coin, is there any chance to return it to its owner? 
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jenniegurl
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #9 on: Jun 26th, 2005, 8:12am » |
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I still dont get this riddle. 
a while ago i read something about it being like this; these men go to a restaurant and they realize their meal only cost $25 so they each got a dollar back and gave the waiter a $2 tip. but how does that make sensE??
see, when they gave the guys a dollar each back, it wasnt the same as if they each paid $9, was it? aaah somebody please explain.
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Grimbal
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #10 on: Jun 26th, 2005, 9:02am » |
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If each paid $10 and got $1 back, in the end they paid $9 each.
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Icarus
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #11 on: Jun 26th, 2005, 12:48pm » |
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The correct distribution of the original $30 dollars is: $25 for the bill, $2 for the waiter/clerk/bellhop/whatever, $3 dollars for the 3 men. After their refunds, the men paid in a total of $27. $2 out of that $27 went to the person, and the remaining $25 paid the bill.
The riddle purposefully turns this around by adding the $2 to the $27, when in fact the $2 are from the $27.
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"Pi goes on and on and on ...
And e is just as cursed.
I wonder: Which is larger
When their digits are reversed? " - Anonymous
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xyz
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #12 on: Jun 26th, 2005, 12:55pm » |
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I used algebra and got:
Let x be price($25)
Let y be price paid($30)
3(y / 3 - 1) + 2 = y - 1
3(1/3y - 1) + 2 = y - 1
y - 3 + 2 = y - 1
y - 1 = y - 1
What I'm thinking is that it should be:
3(y / 3 - 1) - 2 = x
y - 3 - 2 = x
As y = 30 and x = 25, y - 5 = x.
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cheesepuff
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #13 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 9:44pm » |
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Its all a matter of doing the math in a different way then they told you
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errrrrrrrrrrr........ 24
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Cristal
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Re: Where is the other dollar?
« Reply #14 on: Nov 10th, 2005, 8:45pm » |
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It makes perfect sense... If 3 men gave $10 = $30
And it's on sale for $25 so then there would be $5 left.
Each man got $1 back... $5-$3=$2 which the cashier keeps. And there isn't another dollar... Keep the $2 cause it's part of the $27... right? Wow I'm soo confused. I need some sleep ok bye now.
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