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3 men enter a hotel while the hotel manager is away. They read that a room costs $30, so they leave$30 upon the desk,get the key and enter their room for a good night's sleep. Meanwhile the hotel manager comes back, sees the 30 dollars upon the desk, and tells the bell-boy that the room is no longer $30 dollars but now only$25. He then gives the bell-boy 5 single $1 dollar bills and instructs the bell-boy to refund the$5 to the men. Upon going to the men's room the bell-boy thinks; hmm?, "No way can 3 men evenly divide 5 $1 bills." So, he decides to "help" and pockets$2 for himself. He then knocks upon the men's door and gives them each $1. Now here is the question. The men who each paid$10 for the room they thought was $30 but was only$25; each are refunded $1 by the bell-boy and 10$-1$=9$..and .. 3x9=27. So, there is now 27$accounted for + the 2$ the bell-boy pocketed. But, $27$+2$only = 29$..

What happened to the 1$..to account for the original$30....?

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3 men enter a hotel while the hotel manager is away. They read that a room costs $30, so they leave$30 upon the desk,get the key and enter their room for a good night's sleep. Meanwhile the hotel manager comes back, sees the 30 dollars upon the desk, and tells the bell-boy that the room is no longer $30 dollars but now only$25. He then gives the bell-boy 5 single $1 dollar bills and instructs the bell-boy to refund the$5 to the men. Upon going to the men's room the bell-boy thinks; hmm?, "No way can 3 men evenly divide 5 $1 bills." So, he decides to "help" and pockets$2 for himself. He then knocks upon the men's door and gives them each $1. Now here is the question. The men who each paid$10 for the room they thought was $30 but was only$25; each are refunded $1 by the bell-boy and 10$-1$=9$..and .. 3x9=27. So, there is now 27$accounted for + the 2$ the bell-boy pocketed. But, $27$+2$only = 29$..

What happened to the 1$..to account for the original$30....?

Rather than being a math problem, this is actually a magic trick. There is no missing dollar.

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Rather than being a math problem, this is actually a magic trick. There is no missing dollar.

Nope, no magic trick. Keep trying.

If you just wish for me to supply the answer→ let me know.

Edited by First↔Cause ♀
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Nope, no magick trick. Keep trying. If you just wish for me to supply the answer→ let me know.

It is a magic trick. If you want the long explanation, see the link in my previous post.

For the short one:

It's counting the "tip" twice.

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It is a magic trick. If you want the long explanation, see the link in my previous post.

For the short one:

It's counting the "tip" twice.

To make this question even MORE enigmatic→ what if the bell-boy KEPT all the 5$single bills he was supposed to have refunded the men. Remember each of the 3 men kicked in 10$ each. 10$+$10+$10=$30 but now the bellboy kept the $5 he was supposed to have refunded to the men for their over-charging→ so 10+10=10=5=$35..Where did the extra $5 come from..?? My bad? Ushie.☼ ##### Link to comment ##### Share on other sites Nope again! I checked your link..and it does not suffice. To make this question even MORE enigmatic→ what if the bell-boy KEPT all the 5$ single bills he was supposed to have refunded the men. Remember each of the 3 men kicked in 10$each. 10$+$10+$10= $30 but now the bellboy kept the$5 he was supposed to have refunded to the men for their over-charging→ so 10+10=10=5= $35..Where did the extra$5 come from..??

Ushie.☼

Then what do YOU think the answer is?

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To make this question even MORE enigmatic→ what if the bell-boy KEPT all the 5$single bills he was supposed to have refunded the men. Remember each of the 3 men kicked in 10$ each. 10$+$10+$10=$30 but now the bellboy kept the $5 he was supposed to have refunded to the men for their over-charging→ so 10+10=10=5=$35..Where did the extra $5 come from..?? From the hotel. If you're adding up amounts paid, each of the men paid 10, and the hotel paid 5 to the bellboy. As per your previous post, I wish for you to supply the answer! I thought ydoaPs' link sufficed. Thanks. ---- Here's a variation on that one. The men each paid$10. The hotel gives the bellboy a $5 bill and he pockets it, because he thinks that cutting it in 3 pieces would be pointless. 10 + 10 + 10 + 5 =$35.

The next day he goes to a candy store and uses it to buy $1 of candy. The shopkeeper gives him$4 change.

So now on top of the $35, the shopkeeper now has a$5 bill and the bellboy gets $4 in coins. 35 + 5 + 4 =$44. Where does the money keep coming from?

Edited by md65536
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Now here is the question. The men who each paid $10 for the room they thought was$30 but was only $25; each are refunded$1 by the bell-boy and 10$-1$=9$..and .. 3x9=27. Indeed. This is the calculation of how much the men paid in total. They paid$25 for the room and the bellhop took $2 for himself. 25+2=27. So, there is now 27$ accounted for + the 2$the bell-boy pocketed. But,$27$+2$ only = 29$.. Here the tip is being added again. The tip is accounted for twice. Let's take the above calculation and relate it to the total the men paid in the beginning.$30-$27=$3

Now we see that we have just found the refund the men got due to the discount and the bellhop's thievery!

What happened to the 1$..to account for the original$30....?

As I've shown above, there is no missing dollar. It's simple misdirection-a magic trick. But by all means show me the "real" answer.

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From the hotel. If you're adding up amounts paid, each of the men paid 10, and the hotel paid 5 to the bellboy.

As per your previous post, I wish for you to supply the answer! I thought ydoaPs' link sufficed. Thanks.

----

Here's a variation on that one.

The men each paid $10. The hotel gives the bellboy a$5 bill and he pockets it, because he thinks that cutting it in 3 pieces would be pointless. 10 + 10 + 10 + 5 = $35. The next day he goes to a candy store and uses it to buy$1 of candy. The shopkeeper gives him $4 change. So now on top of the$35, the shopkeeper now has a $5 bill and the bellboy gets$4 in coins.

35 + 5 + 4 = $44. Where does the money keep coming from? ↓{<ô¿ô>}↓ No, I can't seem able to send out any peronal messages so I may as well tell the "answer" to anyone and all. Answer→ The correct answer is that this question HAS no answer. It was so written to be so. The question has NO validity or sense; it just appears to make sense. It is just as nonsensical as asking ,"why is the sea boiling hot?" of why do pigs have wings?" The fallacy of my question is the$2 the bell-boy pocketed is the difference between what the men ought to have paid{$25} and what they actually paid{$27}. Adding the $2 to the$27 is a nonsensical operation written to confuse the reader. Solving the question requires for you to explain exactly what is wrong with the question.

When I further wrote as if the bell-boy kept the $5 making, it appear as if$10+$10+$10,+ the $5 the bell-boy now had makes$35 dollars. Lol..money from "thin air." I would ♥♥♥ THAT! But, that shows just how fallacious the question really was!

A question of such just goes to prove that no matter how intelligent a person is..rhetoric is often believed!

Doubt that?

If so, just look who is president of the U.S.A....!

You were upon the right track

Thanks for the try

Ushie Mayna

ps, if my writing is kind of off, please excuse cuz english is not my native language

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↓{<ô¿ô>}↓

No, I can't seem able to send out any peronal messages so I may as well tell the "answer" to anyone and all.

The correct answer is that this question HAS no answer. It was so written to be so. The question has NO validity or sense; it just appears to make sense. It is just as nonsensical as asking ,"why is the sea boiling hot?" of why do pigs have wings?" The fallacy of my question is the $2 the bell-boy pocketed is the difference between what the men ought to have paid{$25} and what they actually paid{$27}. Adding the$2 to the $27 is a nonsensical operation written to confuse the reader. Solving the question requires for you to explain exactly what is wrong with the question. When I further wrote as if the bell-boy kept the$5 making, it appear as if $10+$10+$10,+ the$5 the bell-boy now had makes $35 dollars. Lol..money from "thin air." I would ♥♥♥ THAT! But, that shows just how fallacious the question really was! A question of such just goes to prove that no matter how intelligent a person is..rhetoric is often believed! Doubt that? If so, just look who is president of the U.S.A....! You were upon the right track Thanks for the try Ushie Mayna ps, if my writing is kind of off, please excuse cuz english is not my native language Like I said, it's a magic trick; there is no missing dollar. ##### Link to comment ##### Share on other sites The correct answer is that this question HAS no answer. It was so written to be so. The question has NO validity or sense; it just appears to make sense. It is just as nonsensical as asking ,"why is the sea boiling hot?" of why do pigs have wings?" This is incorrect. There is a definite answer. As ydoaPs has told you, this riddle uses a trick to misdirect you from the money paid out by the three men to the money pocketed by the bellboy. It sets up one equation with addition and another with division and then incorrectly mixes the two answers. The division answer has a remainder that gets dropped in the addition answer. (10+10+10)-5=25 (so each man will pay$8.33...)

$8.33... +$1=$9.33... (which is what each man actually pays after the bellboy reimburses them) ($9.33... *3)+$2=$30 (so the misdirection makes you forget the fractions of a dollar)

First↔Cause ♀, please stop posting the superfluous photos of women. This is an unofficial request since I'm involved in this thread but if it continues there will be a more formal warning from a Moderator who isn't involved. It makes you look like a spammer and adds nothing to your posts. Thanks in advance for your understanding and compliance.

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This is incorrect. There is a definite answer.

As ydoaPs has told you, this riddle uses a trick to misdirect you from the money paid out by the three men to the money pocketed by the bellboy. It sets up one equation with addition and another with division and then incorrectly mixes the two answers. The division answer has a remainder that gets dropped in the addition answer.

(10+10+10)-5=25 (so each man will actually pay $8.33...)$8.33... +$1=$9.33... (which is what each man actually pays)

($9.33... *3)+$2=$30 (so the misdirection makes you forget the fractions of a dollar) Each one paid 9$. (not $9.33) 3 times 9$ = 27$That is too much, they ought to pay 25$.

Yes, there is a definite answer, but that answer doesn't directly answer the nonsense question "What happened to the 1$[...]?" So everybody's correct! (Except in saying that the others are wrong.) So I guess everyone's wrong for saying others are wrong, so I guess that makes me wrong... First↔Cause ♀, please stop posting the superfluous photos of women. I'd assumed they were photos of her??? Like a tag-line or signature; superfluous but not out of place. ##### Link to comment ##### Share on other sites It's very similar in concept to the schoolchild's trick of "proving" that you have 11 digits. Get the child ( or a drunken adult ) to start counting backwards the digits of one hand - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 . when he/she gets to 6 ask how many fingers there are on the other hand - 5. Ask them to add the 5 and the 6 - hence they have 11 digits. In this case each of the 3 customers were due 5/3 dollars back, but only received 3/3 dollars (1$). The total of what is left is only 2 dollars which went into the pocket of the bell boy. I think a sensible answer to the question is "What 1$?" since it never existed. I think the following little bit of maths proves this:- 30 - 5 = 25 30 - 3 - 2 = 25 30 - 3 = 25 + 2 27 = 27 Edited by TonyMcC ##### Link to comment ##### Share on other sites The three customers ended up paying$9 each, or $27 total --$25 to the hotel and $2 to the bellboy. No mystery, no trick, just warped logic to see it any other way. Edited by ewmon ##### Link to comment ##### Share on other sites The three customers ended up paying$9 each, or $27 total --$25 to the hotel and $2 to the bellboy. No mystery, no trick, just warped logic to see it any other way. And, of course, 30-3=27 (lost from the room) and 25+2=27. (distributed outside the room). As per #15. Edited by TonyMcC ##### Link to comment ##### Share on other sites hahA, I puzzled at that one myself some weeks back, particularly annoying. ##### Link to comment ##### Share on other sites This is incorrect. There is a definite answer. As ydoaPs has told you, this riddle uses a trick to misdirect you from the money paid out by the three men to the money pocketed by the bellboy. It sets up one equation with addition and another with division and then incorrectly mixes the two answers. The division answer has a remainder that gets dropped in the addition answer. (10+10+10)-5=25 (so each man will pay$8.33...)

$8.33... +$1=$9.33... (which is what each man actually pays after the bellboy reimburses them) ($9.33... *3)+$2=$30 (so the misdirection makes you forget the fractions of a dollar)

First↔Cause ♀, please stop posting the superfluous photos of women. This is an unofficial request since I'm involved in this thread but if it continues there will be a more formal warning from a Moderator who isn't involved. It makes you look like a spammer and adds nothing to your posts. Thanks in advance for your understanding and compliance.

Despite the fact you are 200% wrong and should it be obvious to see that this is a question that has no answer.

The 3 men got gypped. Instead of paying the bargain $25 they paid$27. The $2 the bell-boy stole is a nonsencial operation designed to fool the reader. And despite being shown the positive proof you insist you are corerect even gain a green mark for it. How come I can't give you a red mark? The use of logical fallacies to prove a point is prohibited. The use of fallacies undermines an argument, and the constant use of them is simply irritating. Very irrating. ##### Link to comment ##### Share on other sites (10+10+10)-5=25 (so each man will pay$8.33...)

$8.33... +$1=$9.33... (which is what each man actually pays after the bellboy reimburses them) ($9.33... *3)+$2=$30 (so the misdirection makes you forget the fractions of a dollar)

I was going to come to your defence because I think Queen of Wands is being unfairly harsh...

But looking at that... that's some of the worst math and/or logic that I've seen in a long time.

Each man should pay 8.33.

How do you get that they end up paying more after being reimbursed?! If they each put in 10 and ended up with 1 back, how do you figure that any one of the paid 9.33?!

The nonsense of the original problem involves mixing addition and subtraction incorrectly, not division. It comes up with a nonsense result. You're applying double-nonsense to get the right answer the wrong way ("fudging").

If you want to do fractions, do this:

The men each paid 8.33 and 1/3c for the room, and .66 and 2/3c for the "gratuity".

The total paid is 27. 9 each.

There is no misdirection involving fractions, because the whole problem is set up to be done with physical, whole dollars.

I can't imagine what the +1 vote was for.

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• 2 weeks later...

I was going to come to your defence because I think Queen of Wands is being unfairly harsh...

But looking at that... that's some of the worst math and/or logic that I've seen in a long time.

Each man should pay 8.33.

How do you get that they end up paying more after being reimbursed?! If they each put in 10 and ended up with 1 back, how do you figure that any one of the paid 9.33?!

The nonsense of the original problem involves mixing addition and subtraction incorrectly, not division. It comes up with a nonsense result. You're applying double-nonsense to get the right answer the wrong way ("fudging").

If you want to do fractions, do this:

The men each paid 8.33 and 1/3c for the room, and .66 and 2/3c for the "gratuity".

The total paid is 27. 9 each.

There is no misdirection involving fractions, because the whole problem is set up to be done with physical, whole dollars.

I can't imagine what the +1 vote was for.

I changed my screen name to Divagating the Future from Queen of Wands.

The math was not mine..lol.."Eraserhead"→ I couldn't eat chicken for a year after seeing that movie!

3 men enter a hotel while the hotel manager is away. They read that a room costs $30, so they leave$30 upon the desk,get the key and enter their room for a good night's sleep. Meanwhile the hotel manager comes back, sees the 30 dollars upon the desk, and tells the bell-boy that the room is no longer $30 dollars but now only$25. He then gives the bell-boy 5 single $1 dollar bills and instructs the bell-boy to refund the$5 to the men. Upon going to the men's room the bell-boy thinks; hmm?, "No way can 3 men evenly divide 5 $1 bills." So, he decides to "help" and pockets$2 for himself. He then knocks upon the men's door and gives them each $1. Now here is the question. The men who each paid$10 for the room they thought was $30 but was only$25; each are refunded $1 by the bell-boy and 10$-1$=9$..and .. 3x9=27. So, there is now 27$accounted for + the 2$ the bell-boy pocketed. But, $27$+2$only = 29$..

What happened to the 1$..to account for the original$30....?

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