Math Question

[wrbranscum]

Several years ago three traveling salesmen needed a place to sleep.
They decided to share a room to save money. They went to the local hotel. The manager was out at the time but the bellboy said he thought the fee would be $30.00 or $10.00 each.
Later the manager returned and the bellboy told him what had happened. The manager said they were over charged and for the bellboy to take $5.00 and split it among the three. On the way to the room he couldn’t decide how to split it so he gave each $1.00
And kept $2.00.
That made them paying $9.00 each which 3 times $9.00 is
$27.00 and the $ 2.00 he kept made $29.00.
What happened to the other dollar?

[bwalley]

Several years ago three traveling salesmen needed a place to sleep.
They decided to share a room to save money. They went to the local hotel. The manager was out at the time but the bellboy said he thought the fee would be $30.00 or $10.00 each.
Later the manager returned and the bellboy told him what had happened. The manager said they were over charged and for the bellboy to take $5.00 and split it among the three. On the way to the room he couldn’t decide how to split it so he gave each $1.00
And kept $2.00.
That made them paying $9.00 each which 3 times $9.00 is
$27.00 and the $ 2.00 he kept made $29.00.
What happened to the other dollar?

They paid $30

manager refunded $5

this leaves $25 the manager kept for the room.

They were each given back 1 dollar, so the room ends up costing them $25, not $27.

25 + 3 + 2 = 30

The bellboy kept $2

There is no missing dollar.

[wrbranscum]

You would be surprised how many can't get the answer. And I mean people in jobs that require lots of math.

[bwalley]

You would be surprised how many can't get the answer. And I mean people in jobs that require lots of math.

That is because they can't deal with more than a couple of numbers at one time and they assume all of the information you are giving them is correct.