3 MEN GO INTO A MOTEL. THE MAN BEHIND THE DESK SAID THE ROOM IS $30, SO EACH MAN PAID $10 AND WENT TO THE ROOM.
A WHILE LATER THE MAN BEHIND THE DESK REALIZED THE ROOM WAS ONLY $25, SO HE SENT THE BELLBOY TO THE 3 GUYS' ROOM WITH $5.
ON THE WAY, THE BELLBOY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPLIT $5 EVENLY BETWEEN 3 MEN, SO HE GAVE EACH MAN A $1 AND KEPT THE OTHER $2 FOR HIMSELF.
THIS MEANT THAT THE 3 MEN EACH PAID $9 FOR THE ROOM, WHICH IS A TOTAL OF $27, ADD THE $2 THAT THE BELLBOY KEPT = $29.
WHERE IS THE OTHER DOLLAR?
Try here:
http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57916.html
Then:
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/103886
The confusion in this riddle arises from some faulty accounting and misinterpretation of the numbers. Let's break down the scenario to understand the correct calculation.
Initially, the room cost was $30, which the three men collectively paid $10 each (totaling $30). Later, the hotel clerk realized that the room was actually priced at $25. To refund the extra $5, he sent the bellboy with the money.
Now, here's where the misunderstanding happens. The bellboy couldn't figure out how to split $5 equally among the three men, so he gave them each $1 (totaling $3) and kept $2 for himself.
If we add up what each person paid, we have $9 per person ($10 they initially paid minus $1 they received back). Since there were three men, the total is $27 ($9 x 3).
The mistake in the riddle is trying to add the $2 that the bellboy kept to the $27, which would make it $29. This is an incorrect interpretation because the $2 kept by the bellboy is already included in the $27. If we wanted to add everything up, we should subtract the $2 from the $27, which would equal $25 (the correct room price).
To summarize, there is no missing dollar. The correct calculation shows that the three men paid a total of $27 for the room, and the bellboy kept $2, making the total $29. The $25 room cost is accounted for within the $27 paid by the men.
Let's analyze the situation step by step to find where the missing dollar is:
1. Initially, the three men paid $30 for the room, which means they each paid $10.
2. The man behind the desk realized the room was only worth $25, so he decided to refund $5 to the three men.
3. The bellboy was sent to deliver the $5 refund to the three men.
4. However, the bellboy found it difficult to divide the $5 equally among the three men, so he decided to give each man $1 and kept the remaining $2 for himself.
Now, let's calculate the total amount of money involved:
Initially, the three men paid a total of $30 (3 men x $10 each) and received a $5 refund. So the total amount they paid is $30 - $5 = $25.
The bellboy took $2, which means he gave the three men a total of $3 ($1 per man). Adding this to the $25 they already paid, we get $25 + $3 = $28.
There is no missing dollar in this scenario because the remaining $2 is with the bellboy. The mistake in the reasoning arises from adding $2 (kept by the bellboy) to $25 (the amount paid by the men) instead of subtracting it.
Therefore, there is no missing dollar.