Yet Another Math Puzzle....

[XNASA]

Three men go to stay at a motel and the clerk charges them $30.00 for the room. They split the cost ten dollars each.

Later the manager tells the clerk that he over- charged the men and that the actual cost should have been $25.00. He gives the clerk $5.00 and tells him to give it to the men. But he decides to cheat them and pockets $2.00.

He then gives each man a dollar. Now each man has paid $9.00 to stay in the room and 3 X $9.00 = $27.00. The clerk pocketed $2.00.
$27.00 + $2.00 = $29.00.

So where is the other $1.00?

[MikeDuffy]

1. $27.00 - $2.00 = $25.00

[XNASA]

5. Sorry. Your answer is incorrect.

You need to account for all the original money.

If each man paid $9, then you have $27. Add the $2 that was pocketed and only $29 is accounted for.

[underpants]

2. Pi!

What was the question?

[larryepke]

3. This is older...

than Dick Cheney's excuses!

The question tricks you into adding two unrelated numbers - $27 and $2.

In fact, the $2 is part of the $27. To get the right answer, you add the $27 to the $3 that was returned to them.

[XNASA]

9. Yes, this is correct.

The numbers are unrelated.

[neoteric lefty]

4. Each man has a dollar,

the clerk two, and the manager $25. 2+1+1+1+25 = 30

[XNASA]

11. Yes. That's the correct breakdown.

[olddem43]

6. I first heard this puzzle in 1956 (really)

We are running out of material here. The answer is that each paid $9. 3 x 9 = 27 The clerk got 2 and the hotel got 25. There is no reason that this should add up to $30.

[underpants]

7. Nowhere

A total of $35 exchanged hands. $30 in to the manager and $5 back to the clerk of which $3 went back to the tenants.

So each of the tenants handled $11 and the clerk has $2. (3 X 11)+2=35

[LiberalVoice]

8. I think I have $6.38 in my pocket...and a pack of condoms.

Would they let me stay in a room for that?

[XNASA]

13. Only for an hour.

[johnnie]

10. Each of the three paid $8.33 for the room

And 67 cents to the clerk.

[XNASA]

12. That's the best answer of all.

Each of the men did not pay $9 for the room. Afterall, the room was only $25, not $27.

[RobertSeattle]

14. Arthur Anderson could have figured this out

...for a cool $900,500 in consulting fees. :-)