Need some help with maths please.

n0chex

n0chex

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Andrew
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No
You see a shirt but dont have any

cash so you borrow £50 from your Mum

& £50 from your Dad = £100. You buy

the shirt,have £3 change so give Mum

£1,Dad £1 & keep the other £1 for

yourself.You now owe Mum £49,Dad

£49 so £49+£49 = £98 & your £1 makes

£99 so where is the missing £1?
 
Last edited:
It's a trick question.
You borrow £100
You spend £97
You owe £97
You repay £2 and keep £1
£97 + £2 + £1 = £100
 
crofter said:
You deserve a slap for spending £100 on a shirt in the first place.
Click to expand...

As do you for not realising that he only spent £97 on the shirt...
 
n0chex said:
You see a shirt but dont have any

cash so you borrow £50 from your Mum

& £50 from your Dad = £100. You buy

the shirt,have £3 change so give Mum

£1,Dad £1 & keep the other £1 for

yourself.You now owe Mum £49,Dad

£49 so £49+£49 = £98 & your £1 makes

£99 so where is the missing £1?
Click to expand...

I was asked a similar question on a training course and spent the weekend thinking about it.

The trick / error in the above logic is in the last but one line. The number you are trying to get to is the original sale price of £97 (although they text confuses you deliberately into thinking you need to get to £100), so you should be subtracting the £1 from the £98 to get to £97, not adding it.

When I came back into the class on the Monday morning with the answer, I was waiting (like a smart arse) for the trainer to bring up the question he set. He didn't, so when I told him over a coffee I had been thinking about the question and thought I had the answer, i was told there wasn't an answer - 'it just is' I was told. grrrrr.
 
Rapscallion said:
when I told him over a coffee I had been thinking about the question and thought I had the answer, i was told there wasn't an answer - 'it just is' I was told. grrrrr.
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This is why I don't pay attention in training sessions; they're often just a way of using up budget and giving someone something to do. Maybe companies should work their money matters out before wasting employees' company time with crap like this.
 
crofter said:
Well slap my bottom,£97 is still slapworthy for a shirt.
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I would prefer not to if it's all the same to you!!! I agree that £97 is slapworthy for a shirt - mine come from Primark for £6 each...
 
Answer:

By giving back the £1 each you only borrowed £98.

£98 borrowed - £97 for shirt. There's your £1 you think is extra.
 
Steve Smith said:
Outrageous... I can get two for that from a charity shop!


Steve.
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You can get an arm full from a jumble sale for less than that.Not that I have,the wife does though,I just get them out of the drawer and put them on,the last shirt I bought was the one I got married in 33 years ago,
I still wear it, it'll see me out.
 
Last edited:
I was thinking a "balance sheet" is the easiest way of understanding the final position :cool:

Assets:
£1 cash in hand
£97 shirts in stock
=======
£98 Total Assets

Liabilities:
£49 Mum (creditor)
£49 Dad (creditor)
=======
£98 Total Liabilities
 
It's 10 types. Those who understand binary and those who don't.
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Even though I have dyscalculia I get it.
 
POAH said:
I'm high on codine after breaking my clavicle, not got a clue what I'm doing half the time at the moment ha ha ha ha
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Codeine for a broken collar bone? Lightweight :lol:
Still should be fun when it bungs you up :eek:
 
At least being bunged up you won't need to wipe your ...
 
This has turned out a s*** thread.
 
I'm just waiting for it to get to the manual evacuation state.
 
POAH said:
you try being consitpated with broken ribs :(
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Vicious circle. (Or should that be viscous circle?) Some years ago, I had a few gut (and lower) problems resulting in (among other things) a haemorrhoidectomy. I was under strict instructions to avoid straining and constipation but was given an assortment of opiate based pain killers, prescribed by the same doctor...

Hope the ribs knit as fast as possible.
 
Nod said:
Vicious circle. (Or should that be viscous circle?) Some years ago, I had a few gut (and lower) problems resulting in (among other things) a haemorrhoidectomy. I was under strict instructions to avoid straining and constipation but was given an assortment of opiate based pain killers, prescribed by the same doctor...

Hope the ribs knit as fast as possible.
Click to expand...

Did your doctor get his / her medical degree in Paraguay? Lol
 
n0chex said:
You see a shirt but dont have any

cash so you borrow £50 from your Mum

& £50 from your Dad = £100. You buy

the shirt,have £3 change so give Mum

£1,Dad £1 & keep the other £1 for

yourself.You now owe Mum £49,Dad

£49 so £49+£49 = £98 & your £1 makes

£99 so where is the missing £1?
Click to expand...
I think puzzles like this should be a mandatory test for anybody who wants to be a teacher or a politician. If you can't work it out ... you're not suitable.
 
pencil?? trying lavatory brushes
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
It's a trick question.
You borrow £100
You spend £97
You owe £97
You repay £2 and keep £1
£97 + £2 + £1 = £100
Click to expand...

That's flawed too:

You borrow £100...correct

You spend £97...correct

You owe £97...incorrect. you still owe £100

You repay £2....meaning you now owe only £98..... and keep £1

£98 + £1 = £99

o_O
 
You've added there when you should have taken away......
 
You're mixing up assets and liabilities...
  • You borrow £100 giving £100 assets (cash), and 2 x £50 liabilities (debt to parents)
  • You acquire a £97 shirt and have £3 cash in hand (total £100 assets), you still have liabilities of £100 (two £50 debts)
  • You repay 2 X £1 off your debts, so…
  • You now have a £97 shirt & £1 in assets (£98 total), and 2 x £49 debts (£98 liabilities in total).
 
Or more accurately,

  • You borrow £100 from Wonga to buy a shirt. You now have assets of £100 and liabilities of £124.
  • You acquire a shirt for £97, of which immediately devalues on purchase (due to VAT, being second hand etc) to £30. You now have £30 worth of shirt, £3 cash, and liabilities of £124.
  • You repay £2 to Wonga, but fail to pay back the full balance within the 30 days you agreed. You now have liabilities of £124-£2+£15 missed payment charge, and forecast interest of £21.92 until your next payday (total liabilities of around £160, and that shirt's now worth £15 at best 'cos you've worn it a few more times)
  • You're screwed.
 
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