The Missing Dollar

[Bronxman2012]

Three guys are on business and decide to rent a room. The room is $30 and so each guy pays $10.

When they get to the room, there is no heat or hot water. They call downstairs, and the manager says that because of this inconvenience, a bellhop will give them a refund of $5.

The bellhop gives them the money, and they give him $2 for a tip.

So, now, there are $3 remaining, and so each person gets $1 back.

In essence, as each person originally paid $10 and received $1 back, each person only paid $9.

Now, here is the question.

Each person paid $9 and 9 * 3 = $27.

Add $2 to the tip paid to the bellhop, and you have $29.

What happened to the missing dollar?

[Cahaun]

Ooh mind puzzles! I know it!

[maiohwmai]

Effectively the men pay $25 total, tip homeboy $2 and pocket $3.

Boo ya.

Let me also say that it's less about addition and subtraction, and more about accounting for the money.

[wvhills]

wow, wherever did you hear this?

[ninjaduck]

The answer is 42. I am correct.

The facts in this riddle are clear: There is an initial $30 charge. It should have been $25, so $5 must be returned and accounted for. $3 is given to the 3 friends, $2 is kept by the bellhop - there you have the $5. The trick to this riddle is that the addition and subtraction are done at the wrong times to misdirect your thinking - and quite successfully for most. Each of the 3 friends did indeed pay $9, not $10, and as far as the friends are concerned, they paid $27 for the night. But we know that the clerk will tell us that they were charged only $25 and when you add the $3 returned with the $2 kept by the bellhop, you come up with $30.

Both answers are correct anyways :p

[StompArtist]

he initial payment of $30 is accounted for as the clerk takes $25, the bellhop takes $2, and the guests get a $3 refund. It adds up. After the refund has been applied, we only have to account for a payment of $27. Again, the clerk keeps $25 and the bellhop gets $2. This also adds up.
There is no reason to add the $2 and $27 – the $2 is contained within the $27 already. Thus the addition is meaningless. Instead the $2 should be subtracted from the $27 to get the revised bill of $25.
This becomes clearer when the initial and net payments are written as simple equations. The first equation shows what happened to the initial payment of $30:
$30 (initial payment) = $25 (to clerk) + $2 (to bellhop) + $3 (refund)
The second equation shows the net payment after the refund is applied (subtracted from both sides):
$27 (net payment) = $25 (to clerk) + $2 (to bellhop)
Both equations make sense, with equal totals on either side of the equal sign. The correct way to get the bellhop's $2 and the guests $27 on the same side of the equal sign ("The bellhop has $2, and the guests paid $27, how does that add up?") is to subtract, not add:
$27 (final payment) - $2 (to bellhop) = $25 (to clerk)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_dollar_riddle


CHEATERS UNITE!

[FluffNStuff]

The answer is 42. I am correct.

"What do you get if you multiply six by nine?"

[[in base 13]]

[ninjaduck]

Lol stomp! :d

i figured it out legit :(

[MimeRifle]

The answer is 42. I am correct.

The facts in this riddle are clear: There is an initial $30 charge. It should have been $25, so $5 must be returned and accounted for. $3 is given to the 3 friends, $2 is kept by the bellhop - there you have the $5. The trick to this riddle is that the addition and subtraction are done at the wrong times to misdirect your thinking - and quite successfully for most. Each of the 3 friends did indeed pay $9, not $10, and as far as the friends are concerned, they paid $27 for the night. But we know that the clerk will tell us that they were charged only $25 and when you add the $3 returned with the $2 kept by the bellhop, you come up with $30.

Both answers are correct anyways :p

Ninja, please don't take this the wrong way, but I didn't know you were smart. :smiley_simmons:

[ninjaduck]

Well now you know
5117

[Bronxman2012]

Does anyone remember the good old days when people had to figure out riddles without Wikipedia? I see I will have to up my game.

[ninjaduck]

Lol change the keywords I guess, or maybe make the title not exactly the same as on Wiki! :D