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Puzzling Questions

Discussion in 'Whatnots' started by Gaear, May 1, 2012.

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  1. Gaear

    Gaear ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful

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    Remove all ads!
    I saw this question posed in an article I read about differentiating between types of thinkers or some such, but the most interesting part was the question itself. Please answer as intuitively or rationally as you like, but don't look it up or anything. I was kind of surprised by how much trouble I had with it. Maybe I am just a dope, but they say many people get it wrong. :D

    Question: If a ball and a bat cost $1.10 together, and the bat costs $1.00 more than the ball, how much does the ball cost?
     
    Gaear, May 1, 2012
    #1
  2. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Not sure why this would be difficult, but then again I work with numbers every day.

    5 cents. Subtract a dollar and divide by two. I guess the most common error is to choose ten cents.

    The more important question here is where can you get a ball and bat for $1.10?
     
    T2Bruno, May 1, 2012
    #2
  3. Dice

    Dice ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

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    OK, since this is obviously a trick question, I don't understand why the ball doesn't cost .10. Why did you divide by 2 Bruno?
     
    Dice, May 1, 2012
    #3
  4. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Ball + Bat = $1.10
    Bat = Ball + $1.00
    Ball + Ball + $1.00 = $1.10
    2Ball + $1.00 = $1.10
    2Ball = $.10
    Ball = $.05
    Not really a trick question, but I suppose it could fool people by saying the bat is one dollar more than the ball.

    If the ball costs $.10 then the bat being a dollar more would be $1.10 so the total would be $1.20, not $1.10.
     
    Blackthorne TA, May 1, 2012
    #4
  5. Blades of Vanatar

    Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I sit with several Engineers at work. I just sent that question to 6 of them. 3 provided the right answer.
     
    Blades of Vanatar, May 1, 2012
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  6. Master of Nuhn

    Master of Nuhn Wear it like a crown Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Then the other 3 are unsuitable for the job, imo.
     
    Master of Nuhn, May 2, 2012
    #6
  7. Dice

    Dice ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

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    You mean the three that got the answer right? :lol:
     
    Dice, May 2, 2012
    #7
  8. Arabwel

    Arabwel Screaming towards Apotheosis Veteran

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    What's ten plus twenty divided by half?
     
    Arabwel, May 3, 2012
    #8
  9. reepnorp

    reepnorp Lim'n Lime Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    Strictly speaking, 60.
     
    reepnorp, May 3, 2012
    #9
  10. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Or if you follow standard precedence order it could be fifty.
    Or if you follow implied language order and take "divided by half" to mean "divided in half" it could be fifteen.
    Or if you follow standard precedence order and take "divided by half" to mean "divided in half" it could be twenty.

    :D
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2012
    Blackthorne TA, May 3, 2012
    #10
  11. Silvery

    Silvery I won't pretend to be your friend coz I'm just not ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

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    [​IMG]
     
    Silvery, May 3, 2012
    #11
    Merlanni and T2Bruno like this.
  12. Blades of Vanatar

    Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    You have a warped mind...:p
     
    Blades of Vanatar, May 3, 2012
    #12
  13. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Oops, that last one should have been twenty, not ten... corrected above. :)
     
    Blackthorne TA, May 3, 2012
    #13
  14. Mesmero

    Mesmero How'd an old elf get the blues?

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    Half of what? ;) I think it should be 2, or maybe 12 :p
     
    Mesmero, May 3, 2012
    #14
  15. Déise

    Déise Both happy and miserable, without the happy part!

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    That sounds like one of those late night game show scams where they spend the night getting people to ring in and then say all the answers are wrong.
     
    Déise, May 3, 2012
    #15
  16. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I can see 12. Or 3. Or 0. How do you get 2? :)
     
    Blackthorne TA, May 3, 2012
    #16
  17. Dice

    Dice ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

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    I'm with Silvery on this one.
     
    Dice, May 3, 2012
    #17
    Silvery likes this.
  18. reepnorp

    reepnorp Lim'n Lime Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    I rather enjoy tricky math word problems like these. My boss and I both have math degrees so every once in a while one of us comes across really good ones that nearly drive the other insane. Next time one of us has one I'll put it up here, see what you guys get.

    Here's the worst one I've seen in a while (worst in that it isn't thaaat complicated and took me way longer than it should have). A friend of mine sent it to me and then after spending several hours to figure it out, he told me it was to get some prize in Neopets.

     
    reepnorp, May 4, 2012
    #18
  19. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    8/(3-(8/3))
     
    T2Bruno, May 4, 2012
    #19
  20. Silvery

    Silvery I won't pretend to be your friend coz I'm just not ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

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    Shame Carol Vorderman isn't on here, we could have a geeky countdown :)
     
    Silvery, May 4, 2012
    #20
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