Mystery of the Missing Dollar

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In summary: So in summary, the bellboy received $2 more than he originally gave, and the three men each received $1 less than they originally paid.
  • #1
CaptainQuaser
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Three guys walk into a hotel. The Bell boy charges them 30 dollars for the room. Each of the thee men pay 10 dollars.

The Bell boy gives the money to the manager but is repremanded as the room only costs 25 dollars, he is told to give 5 dollars back.

To make things easier he gives each man 1 dollar back and keeps 2 for himself.

So in the end each man had paid 9 dollars making 27 in total. The Bell boy kept 2 making 29, so where did the last dollar go?
 
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  • #2
nowhere. 2making 29 is wrong.
 
  • #3
captain, welcome to PF!
thanks for contributing to the puzzles
having new people bring puzzles (even if sometimes there might be repeats) keeps things lively

I'll hide an answer to show how it is done if you are not familiar with it.
You put the answer between [C*LOR=white] and [/C*LOR]
but spell it color, not c*lor
so run the mouse over the next patch of area and it will show up

the guys paid out a total of 27 dollars, where did the 27 dollars go? the bellhop got $2 and the manager got $25
I think this is what neurocomp is saying
 
  • #4
yes...sorry i guess i should have whited out my answer. my bad.
 
  • #5
CaptainQuaser said:
Three guys walk into a hotel. The Bell boy charges them 30 dollars for the room. Each of the thee men pay 10 dollars.

The Bell boy gives the money to the manager but is repremanded as the room only costs 25 dollars, he is told to give 5 dollars back.

To make things easier he gives each man 1 dollar back and keeps 2 for himself.

So in the end each man had paid 9 dollars making 27 in total. The Bell boy kept 2 making 29, so where did the last dollar go?

:confused: The men only pay 25 dollars, because the manager gives 5 dollars back. so when the bell boy gives them each 1 dollar, that makes it 28 dollars and the boy keeps 2 dollars which makes it 30 dollars. Therefore the men pay uneven amounst of money, but no money is unaccounted for. :confused:
 
  • #6
CaptainQuaser said:
Three guys walk into a hotel. The Bell boy charges them 30 dollars for the room. Each of the thee men pay 10 dollars.

The Bell boy gives the money to the manager but is repremanded as the room only costs 25 dollars, he is told to give 5 dollars back.

To make things easier he gives each man 1 dollar back and keeps 2 for himself.

So in the end each man had paid 9 dollars making 27 in total. The Bell boy kept 2 making 29, so where did the last dollar go?
exercise in symamtics
 
  • #7
"So in the end each man had paid 9 dollars making 27 in total. The Bell boy kept 2 making 29, so where did the last dollar go?"

Answer:
This last statement is adding apples and oranges; it is trying to add "amount given out" to "amount received" and then asking why they don't add up.
It's like saying "I pay you $5, and you receive $5. If we add those together, we have suddenly created a total of $10 out of nothing."

In reality, the sum total of moneys started off at $30 (all in the men's hands) In the end, the hotel has $25, the bellboy has $2 and the 3 men have $1 each.
 

1. What is the "Mystery of the Missing Dollar"?

The "Mystery of the Missing Dollar" is a classic mathematical puzzle that involves three people splitting the cost of a hotel room, but somehow ending up one dollar short.

2. How does the puzzle go?

The puzzle goes like this: Three people book a hotel room for $30, each contributing $10. The manager realizes that the room is actually only $25, so he gives the bellhop $5 to return to the three guests. However, the bellhop keeps $2 for himself and gives each guest back $1. This means each guest only paid $9 for the room, totaling $27, plus the $2 the bellhop kept equals $29. But the original cost of the room was $30. Where did the missing dollar go?

3. What is the solution to the "Mystery of the Missing Dollar"?

The solution is that there is no missing dollar. The puzzle relies on a mathematical trick, where the $27 that the guests paid includes the $2 that the bellhop kept. Therefore, there is no extra dollar to account for.

4. Why does this puzzle confuse people?

This puzzle confuses people because it involves basic arithmetic and can be easily misinterpreted. Additionally, it relies on a common misconception that addition is the same as subtraction, which leads people to believe that $27 + $2 = $29, when in reality, $27 - $2 = $25.

5. Are there any real-life applications for this puzzle?

While this puzzle may not have any direct real-life applications, it does serve as a fun and challenging brain teaser that can improve critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities.

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