[Guest]

There was once a man named Boy Peso. One day, he saw a toy in a store. he doesn't have the money, so he had to ask his mother and father. They gave him 5 dollars each. So, he had 10 dollars. He bought the toy and had a 3 dollar loose change. "How can I split 3 dollars into two people?" he asked himself. Then an idea struck his mind. He gave 1 dollar to each of his parents and kept the last. He owed 5 dollars to each parent, but returned 1 dollar to each. His debt to each of his parents is 4 dollars. That gives a total of 8 dollars, add the one he kept and that's 9 dollars. Hey, wait a minute. Where did the missing dollar go?

First of all, examine the riddle. You will find disinformation. his debt is supposed to be 4 dollars and 50 cents. That gives 9 dollars plus the one he kept equals 10 dollars. I'm sorry I can't explain the solution clearly. This could be merely a hint. I think you could figure out the exact computations on your own...

[Guest]

There was once a man named Boy Peso. One day, he saw a toy in a store. he doesn't have the money, so he had to ask his mother and father. They gave him 5 dollars each. So, he had 10 dollars. He bought the toy and had a 3 dollar loose change. "How can I split 3 dollars into two people?" he asked himself. Then an idea struck his mind. He gave 1 dollar to each of his parents and kept the last. He owed 5 dollars to each parent, but returned 1 dollar to each. His debt to each of his parents is 4 dollars. That gives a total of 8 dollars, add the one he kept and that's 9 dollars. Hey, wait a minute. Where did the missing dollar go?

First of all, examine the riddle. You will find disinformation. his debt is supposed to be 4 dollars and 50 cents. That gives 9 dollars plus the one he kept equals 10 dollars. I'm sorry I can't explain the solution clearly. This could be merely a hint. I think you could figure out the exact computations on your own...

Your 'solution' is even more confusing -- his debt is not supposed to be $4.50. His debt is exactly 8 dollars, which is the sum of his $7 toy and the $1 in his pocket.

[Guest]

It is a simple case of bad math. Since the parents each paid $4 each there is only $8 total to account for. The toy cost $7 plus the $1 the boy kept, total $8.

Another way to look at it is the toy cost $7 plus $1 to each parent and $1 to the boy, total $10.

[Guest]

An old one but tricked me when I saw for the first time.

There is NO MISSING $. After returning a $1 to each of his parent, he ACTUALLY in debt of his parent for $4 each which makes it $8 NOT $10. There you go you got the answer in the question. He bought the toy for $7 (as $3 left before returning) and he him self kept $1. So $7 + $1 = $8 which is the original amount as I said NOT $10.

Edited September 24, 2009 by sjunejo

[Guest]

One must compare debts and assets. His assets are the toy ($7) and change in his pocket ($1), which total $8. His debts are also $8 ($4 to each parent). The puzzle attempted to throw the reader off by adding an asset (the $1 change) to his debt ($8). In reality, this is meaningless.

Edited September 24, 2009 by Carl

[Guest]

1) boy borrows $5 from each parent --> boy owes each parent $5

2) boy spends $7 on toy, leaving $3 change

3) boy pays each parent $1 --> boy owes each parent $4

4) boy keeps $7 toy and $1 change --> boy still owes each parent $4

[Guest]

It's the old problem about the change again, just put a different way.

It's all done with smoke and mirrors - the numbers are put in such a way as to mislead.

My favourite puzzle of this type is the one about an inheritance.

A man left half his property to his first son, a third to his second son and a ninth to his third son.

When he died, he left 17 camels, which no-one could divide up properly, until the village elder came up with a solution.

He gave one of his camels to make 18.

Half of 18 is 9, so the first son got 9 camels.

A third of 18 is 6, so the second son got 6 camels.

A ninth of 18 is 2, so the third son got 2 camels.

9 + 6 + 2 = 17, so the village elder took back his camel and everyone was happy.

How did it work?

[Guest]

It's the old problem about the change again, just put a different way.

It's all done with smoke and mirrors - the numbers are put in such a way as to mislead.

My favourite puzzle of this type is the one about an inheritance.

A man left half his property to his first son, a third to his second son and a ninth to his third son.

When he died, he left 17 camels, which no-one could divide up properly, until the village elder came up with a solution.

He gave one of his camels to make 18.

Half of 18 is 9, so the first son got 9 camels.

A third of 18 is 6, so the second son got 6 camels.

A ninth of 18 is 2, so the third son got 2 camels.

9 + 6 + 2 = 17, so the village elder took back his camel and everyone was happy.

How did it work?

This problem works because the man left 17/18 of his property to his 3 sons. Unfortunately, 17/18 of 17 is not so easy to divide when talking about live camels. Depending on where the man left the remaining 1/18 of his property, the 3 sons should probably give the first camel offspring to the person that was cheated of their portion of the inheritance.

[Guest]

This problem works because the man left 17/18 of his property to his 3 sons. Unfortunately, 17/18 of 17 is not so easy to divide when talking about live camels. Depending on where the man left the remaining 1/18 of his property, the 3 sons should probably give the first camel offspring to the person that was cheated of their portion of the inheritance.

Nobody was cheated out of their inheritance (unless there is a 4th unnamed beneficiary in the will). The first son was supposed to receive 1/2 of 17 would be 8 and 1/2 but got 9. The second son was supposed to receive 1/3 of 17 which would be 5 and 2/3 but got 6. The third son was supposed to receive 1/9 of 17 which would be 1 and 8/9 but received 2. All the sons received more than they were supposed to! The extra 1/18 happens to add up to the amount required to round up each of these fractions.

Edited September 24, 2009 by Tickle

[Guest]

Removed!

Edited September 24, 2009 by Tickle

[Guest]

This happens so quickly that most people don't catch it.

From the riddle:

"His debt to each of his parents is 4 dollars. That gives a total of 8 dollars"

Don't add the 1 in his pocket!

He owes his parents $8

PLUS THE TWO HE GAVE BACK (one to each parent)

makes 10.

You can put the money in 3 different groups

(7 dollars for the purchased toy)

(1 dollar in the boys pocket)

(2 dollars back with the parents)

The first two groups represent his debt to the parents.

You've already counted the 1 in his pocket, why would you add it again?

[Guest]

Nobody was cheated out of their inheritance (unless there is a 4th unnamed beneficiary in the will). The first son was supposed to receive 1/2 of 17 would be 8 and 1/2 but got 9. The second son was supposed to receive 1/3 of 17 which would be 5 and 2/3 but got 6. The third son was supposed to receive 1/9 of 17 which would be 1 and 8/9 but received 2. All the sons received more than they were supposed to! The extra 1/18 happens to add up to the amount required to round up each of these fractions.

I was speaking of the 4th unnamed beneficiary, who is due 1/18th of the man's inheritance.

[Guest]

Does it have to do with PEMDAS? You know, Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction?

[Guest]

I think this riddle has already been posted before.

[Guest]

There was once a man named Boy Peso. One day, he saw a toy in a store. he doesn't have the money, so he had to ask his mother and father. They gave him 5 dollars each. So, he had 10 dollars. He bought the toy and had a 3 dollar loose change. "How can I split 3 dollars into two people?" he asked himself. Then an idea struck his mind. He gave 1 dollar to each of his parents and kept the last. He owed 5 dollars to each parent, but returned 1 dollar to each. His debt to each of his parents is 4 dollars. That gives a total of 8 dollars, add the one he kept and that's 9 dollars. Hey, wait a minute. Where did the missing dollar go?

First of all, examine the riddle. You will find disinformation. his debt is supposed to be 4 dollars and 50 cents. That gives 9 dollars plus the one he kept equals 10 dollars. I'm sorry I can't explain the solution clearly. This could be merely a hint. I think you could figure out the exact computations on your own...

Very simple. He owed his parents 8 dollars. But do not add the dollar he kept. That dollar he kept add it to the seven he payed for the toy. He payed $7 for the toy and he kept 1 = 8 plus two he returned = 10..

[Guest]

Very simple. He owed his parents 8 dollars. But do not add the dollar he kept. That dollar he kept add it to the seven he payed for the toy. He payed $7 for the toy and he kept 1 = 8 plus two he returned = 10..

hehehe... no you got it wrong... why must he not add the peso in his pocket? It's part of the change. The total debt he must have for each of his parents is 4.50 $. He's supposed to pay another 50 cents to each but he kept it... so, 4.50 + 4.50 + 1 = 10 $. I see some people say that the total is only 8 $. I said he borrowed 5 $ from each parent, getting him 10 $. I know it sounds confusing, but believe me, it's just disinformation but it's confusing and you merely catch it...

[Guest]

hehehe... no you got it wrong... why must he not add the peso in his pocket? It's part of the change. The total debt he must have for each of his parents is 4.50 $. He's supposed to pay another 50 cents to each but he kept it... so, 4.50 + 4.50 + 1 = 10 $. I see some people say that the total is only 8 $. I said he borrowed 5 $ from each parent, getting him 10 $. I know it sounds confusing, but believe me, it's just disinformation but it's confusing and you merely catch it...

The point is, he already added that dollar in his pocket. The question tries to trick you into adding it a second time (and never adding the two he gave back to his parents) to get the false answer of 9.

You will never need to get a fraction of a dollar(to get 4.50), you will deal only with whole dollars. This is not a math problem that requires averaging. The problem just asks you to identify where each dollar is.

Assuming his parents lent him money and expect him to pay it all back,

His initial debt is $10. After he pays them back $2 his remaining debt is $8.

Treating his parents as separate lenders,

his initial debt is $5 to each parent.

He pays back $1 to each, his remaining debt is $4 to each parent.

Edited October 29, 2009 by mmiguel1

[Guest]

I think this riddle has already been posted before.

It's a remake of the inkeeper & the bellhop

[Guest]

a lot of answers may be given by different points of view. It just confuses people more if I still defend my answer. It's based on MY point of view so it's nothing to argue about. However, I've encountered a lot of problems like this, maybe not in matters of money, but in matters of measurement. It's not easy to spot, but the disinformation is really there. Answers depend on how you analyze the problem. Therefore, there is no definite solution to this one, but I think my answer is the closest...

[Guest]

a lot of answers may be given by different points of view. It just confuses people more if I still defend my answer. It's based on MY point of view so it's nothing to argue about. However, I've encountered a lot of problems like this, maybe not in matters of money, but in matters of measurement. It's not easy to spot, but the disinformation is really there. Answers depend on how you analyze the problem. Therefore, there is no definite solution to this one, but I think my answer is the closest...

When you are wrong, you need to just admit it and move on. Your analysis is not "the closest" - it is not close at all. This 'riddle' is decades old if not older and has been answered an analyzed a million times. There is a definite answer and it is not yours. You can look at it one of 2 ways:

(1) Total amount of money = $10. $7 for toy + $1 for boy + $1 for mom + $1 for dad = $10. CHECK

(2) Total money owed to parents = $8 Each parent gave him $5 and got $1 back so the net is $4 each or $8. Where did the $8 go? $7 for toy + $1 for boy = $8. CHECK

The confusion comes when you mix scenarios (1) and (2) and add quantities that should not be added. The debt to the parents is the sum of what the toy cost plus what the boy kept so adding what he kept to what he owes gives a meaningless number. To see the folly, just rewrite the problem with the toy costing $3 and the boy keeping $5 and giving each parent $1. So he owes each parent $4 which makes $8 plus the $5 he kept makes $13. Where did the extra $3 come from.