One Confusing Math Problem

[Bharat Nain]

Ok Guys,
I have been pondering over this for a while, its confusing, but help if you can, and no, this is not a trick question or anything as such:

3 Men go to a restaurant. The charge is $25. Each of them pay $10.
The waiter gives them a $5 bill back, since none of them have coins, they give the waiter $2, and each of them take $1.

Now, $2 + $1 + $1 + $1 + 25 = $30

So on the whole each paid $9(they got back $1).

9x3 = 27;
27 + 2 = 29;

Where is $1? :ahh:

[Yan Wang]

This was posted a looong time ago. It's just bad grammar/wording ;)

It's not 9*3 = 27

It's ((25/3)+1)*3 , which equals 28.

Add 2 and you've got 30.

[Gene F]

Ok Guys,
I have been pondering over this for a while, its confusing, but help if you can, and no, this is not a trick question or anything as such:

3 Men go to a restaurant. The charge is $25. Each of them pay $10.
The waiter gives them a $5 bill back, since none of them have coins, they give the waiter $2, and each of them take $1.

Now, $2 + $1 + $1 + $1 + 25 = $30

So on the whole each paid $9(they got back $1).

9x3 = 27;
27 + 2 = 29;

Where is $1? :ahh:

The answer is a matter of accounting. Look at how much was received and how much was payed.

Amount payed:
9+9+9 = 27
Amont received
25+2 = 27

In other words using + for received and - for payed, it looks like this:
-9-9-9+25+2 = 0
The books balance! :)

No missing dollar!

[Bharat Nain]

Thanks, You guys are better than my math teacher :D
HE DIDNT EVEN UNDERSTAND IT :ahh:

[deltacoder1020]

basically, the problem is worded to confuse. You wouldn't add the waiter's dollars to the amount the men paid - it's already part of it. What you have to add is the money they got back, $3. 3+27 = 30.