RIDDLE: easy one for starters...

[donly1ace]

I have two but I will start with an easy one...

Three guys our on a business trip and go rent a hotel room for the night. One guy steps up at the counter and asks the woman in front for the price of a room. She let's them know that the price is $30 per room. They accept, so they each take out $10 from their wallets and pay for the room.

The woman at the counter gives them the key and off they go to their room. Five minutes later, she remembers that today is Thursday and she should of charged them $25 for the room. Being an honest woman, she calls up the bellboy and explains the situation and asks him to give them the $5 back. The bellboy goes off to reimburse the customers and, just before knocking on their door, figures that he can't really separate $5 in between three people. So since they are not aware of the rebate that day, he decides to keep $2 in his pocket and then knocks on the door and gives each of them a dollar back.

So they all paid $10 initially and then were reimbursed $1 for a net total of $9 which they paid out of their wallets. The bellboy kept the extra $2.

Now let's calculate: $9 multiplied by 3 guys... that's $27, plus the $2 the bellboy kept... that's $29.

Where is the missing dollar?

Enjoy!

 

[donly1ace]

Oh yeah... if you want to guess it on your own, I suggest you don't read through the replies...

 

[donly1ace]

Just another reply so no one is tempted to look at the answer below... if someone gets it!


I thought about people sending me their answers but I don't want to get Jack to have to send a bunch of e-mails...

I'm sure he has lots of work to do as it is!

 

[marine]

I will go ahead and throw an answer out there for ya.


The dollar really isnt missing. You are adding/subtracting the wrong sets of numbers from each other and pulling the ole "switchero" when you telll us to figure it out.

paid 30 $
owner gave back $5
Bell boy gave each man back a $1.

30-5=25
25 +1 +1 +1 = 28
28 + the $2 the bell boy stole/kept =$30

Sorry, its morning and the kid is whining, otherwise i could explain more.

 

[marine]

or you can look at it from the other angle which might make it easier to explain.

The guys each paid $9.
9x3 = 27
the bell boy kept 2 bucks (that little sh*t)

27-2 = $25 for the room.

you subtract the $2, not add it.

 

[BahamaMama]

between the hotel and the bell boy, they collected $27

each man paid $8.33 1/3 for the room, and $ .67 2/3 to the bell boy, that is $9 each out of the men's pockets.

 

[TIME TO MAKE $$$]

between the hotel and the bell boy, they collected $27

each man paid $8.33 1/3 for the room, and $ .67 2/3 to the bell boy, that is $9 each out of the men's pockets.

Annie, the mathematician

 

[donly1ace]

This riddle is better said then written. When trying to attempt to solve problems, we tend to use visual images in our minds. This riddle goes against our instincts and that is where we get into a problem trying to solve this riddle!

Try telling this riddle to someone you know and you'll see that at first they will be a baffled when you tell them there is $1 missing! Because of that visual picture of them taking out 10$ from their wallets and getting a refund of 1$ from the bellboy!

THE ANSWER:
It can be explained in many different ways such as the one's you both mentioned above. But BahamaMama's is more complete as to how we get that missing dollar.

Each man paid $8.33 1/3 for the room. Add the $1 reimbursement, that's adds up to $9.33 1/3; multiply it by 3 guys, that's $28; add the $2 the bellboy put in his pocket, that's $30!

Be ready for the next RIDDLE as it is a little more complicated. I should say a lot more complicated! I'll try to post it tonight!

 

[marine]

You cant pay a 1/3 of a cent.
Hypothetical or not, you still cant pay a third of a penny.

 

[donly1ace]

Sorry marine, my fault... I should of wrote it this way instead: "... the cost of the room was $25 divided by 3 guys, which is $8.33 1/3 per person..." they did not pay that amount because they initially paid $10. But the "real" price was... $8.33 1/3.

You're right they did not "pay" but the real price was $8.33 1/3 each.

 

[marine]

but the price as far as they knew was $9/head because that little weasel of a bell hop figured he could pocket 2 bucks and no one was the wiser!

that lil schiester!

 

[donly1ace]