The Missing Dollar Puzzle
Three friends check into a hotel room that costs $30. They each contribute $10 towards the bill and head to their room.
Later, the hotel manager realizes that there was a mistake in the bill, and the room only costs $25.
To rectify the error, the manager gives $5 to the bellboy and asks him to return it to the guests. However, the bellboy decides to keep $2 for himself and returns $3 to the guests.
Now, if each guest initially paid $10 and they each received $1 back, that means they each effectively paid $9, totalling $27. The bellboy kept $2, which adds up to $29. But where did the missing dollar go?
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The Missing Dollar Puzzle Answer:
The solution to the missing dollar puzzle lies in the misinterpretation of the transactions. Let’s break it down:
- The guests initially paid $30 for the room ($10 each), not $27.
- The $25 for the room and the $2 kept by the bellboy make up the $27.
- The $3 returned to the guests should not be added to the $27 since it is money already included in the $27. Ideally, guest paid $27 ($25 for room and $2 kept by bellboy) and they have $3 back which is total $30.
So, there’s no missing dollar. The math just needs to be interpreted correctly. Each guest paid $9 (a total of $27), the bellboy kept $2, which makes up the total of $29. There’s no additional dollar missing. It’s just a matter of how the transactions are interpreted and accounted for.
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