I stumbled upon this logic problem

[catcher_silviu]

You want to buy a phone( the item is not important, it can be anything) that costs 97 $. You borrow 50$ from your mother and 50 $ from your father. After you buy the phone you are left with 3 $. You give 1 $ to your mother and 1 $ to your father. You now owe them 49 $ each. But you still got 1 $ .

Maybe its quite easy and I just don't see it.

[mrgabe]

the wording makes the situation sound strange, but the money is all there: in the end, you owe $98 to your parents for the $98 which became the $97 phone and a dollar you have. The two remaining dollars are with your parents and that adds up to the $100

[jhawk]

You had$ 0, parents had $100 total = $100

after you buy phone:
parents have $0, you have $3 +$97 phone = $100
then
parents have $2, you have $1 +$97 phone =$100

[catcher_silviu]

Nice replies. Obviosly all the money are still there, it's not a "get rich fast " way ...lol

I thought it was a nice logic problem and I was in a sharing mood

[OmegaScales]

I remember hearing a similar logic problem problem when I was younger (7-10). I can't remember it very well, but it does have the supposed "magically appearing dollar" thing.

[mrgabe]

I remember hearing a similar logic problem problem when I was younger (7-10). I can't remember it very well, but it does have the supposed "magically appearing dollar" thing.

Omega, I think that one was:

3 people (pirates, if you read the same book I did!) get a room at an Inn and each pay $10. The Inn Keeper realizes the room was only $25 and that he overcharged them. He tells the clerk to give $5 back to the people. Seeing that the people wouldn't be able split the change evenly, and given that they weren't expecting the money back any way, the clerk pockets $2 and gives the 3 people $3.

Each receives $1 back, and one says: sweet! we got the room for $27 (3 x $9). The clerk still has $2 in his pocket.

The room was $27. The clerk has $2. That's $29.

Where's the missing $1?

[OmegaScales]

Oh yeah, the disappearing dollar... close enough. And I still find it funny that I keep trying to figure out what the miscalculation was even though I know what it is... if that makes any sense.

[harey]

Borrow money:

ASSETS:

Cash: 100$

Total: 100$

LIABILITIES:

Father: 50$

Mother: 50$

Total: 100$

Buy the phone:

ASSETS:

Cash: 3$

Phone: 97$

Total: 100$

LIABILITIES:

Father: 50$

Mother: 50$

Total: 100$

Return 1$

ASSETS:

Cash: 1$

Phone: 97$

Total: 98$

LIABILITIES:

Father: 49$

Mother: 49$

Total: 98$

[bgm1961]

3 people (pirates, if you read the same book I did!) get a room at an Inn and each pay $10. The Inn Keeper realizes the room was only $25 and that he overcharged them. He tells the clerk to give $5 back to the people. Seeing that the people wouldn't be able split the change evenly, and given that they weren't expecting the money back any way, the clerk pockets $2 and gives the 3 people $3.

Each receives $1 back, and one says: sweet! we got the room for $27 (3 x $9). The clerk still has $2 in his pocket.

The room was $27. The clerk has $2. That's $29.

Where's the missing $1?

Missing dollar puzzles like these have had a damaging effect on me for the past 40 years! Damn them! This same puzzle messed with my mind at an younger age. And so to this day, I can't produce a math or logic solution without second and triple-guessing myself! Doesn't matter if I arrive at the correct solution in the first couple of seconds, nor if the answer is staring me right in the face, I still re-examine my answer with an air of self-doubt... all because of this stupid puzzle that shattered my confidence all those years ago!

Edited September 22, 2013 by bgm1961