Wednesday, November 08, 2006

A Riddle For The Day

Three people check into a hotel. They pay $30 to the manager and go to their room. The manager finds out that the room rate is $25 and gives $5 to the bellboy to return. On the way to the room the bellboy reasons that $5 would be difficult to share among three people, so he pockets $2 and gives $1 to each person. Now, each person paid $10 and got back $1. So they paid $9 each, totaling $27. The bellboy has $2, totaling $29. Where is the other dollar?

No pressure, but I was able to figure it out. :)

5 comments:

Jared Lyman said...

The bellboy originally received $5 to return to the couple. He gave $2 to the couple and kept $2. So it states. In reality he had to have kept $3.

Is that right? I'm horrible at math.

Lindsay Jane said...

Close, but nope.

Jared Lyman said...

What do you mean no? If he had kept two, and gave two away where did the other go?

I hate math. :)

Lindsay Jane said...

Here is the answer to the riddle in math form.


10*3 = 30 - 3 (change) = 27 - 2 (bellboy theft) = $25 (the cost of the room)

Anonymous said...

actually, they only paid $25 and the bellboy got $5. he gave them back $1 each, which accounts for $28, then kept $2 which totaled $30.