[Guest]

Tim inherited 25% more money from his father than his sister, Jane. He wants to give her some fraction of his money so that both of them end up with exactly the same amount of inheritance.

What percentage of his money should John give to Jane?

Good Luck Guys

[Guest]

He has to part with 10%

[Guest]

looks like it may have already been solved, given I am on page 3, but it is 10% [of his current inheritance].

Solution: he has 5/4 * J (J = Jane's inheritance). 5/4 J - x = J + x; 1/4 J = 2x; 1/8 J = x. But, what percentage of 5/4 J (Tim's inheritance) is 1/8 J (which is x, the amount he needs to give Jane). 1/8 J = x% * 5/4 J; 1/10 = x% = 10%

[Guest]

Who is "John," and what is his relationship to Tim and Jane? Is he, too, a party of interest?

[Guest]

Wow, so much debate

John got 25% more than Jane

This means that John got 5/4 of what Jane got.

N = Jane's money

J = John's money

J = (5/4) * N

N = (4/5) * J

X = amount John will give to Jane

J - X = N + X

2 X = J - N = J - (4/5)*J = J(1 - 4/5) = J/5

X/J = 1/10

I agree with the others who say 10%

Edited August 12, 2010 by mmiguel1

[Guest]

Tim inherited 25% more money from his father than his sister, Jane. He wants to give her some fraction of his money so that both of them end up with exactly the same amount of inheritance.

What percentage of his money should John give to Jane?

Good Luck Guys

He should give Jane 10% of his inheritance.

[Guest]

25% more than Jane means John got Jane's inheritance + 25% of Jane's inheritance.

John got 125% of what Jane got, (i.e. take percentage, 25%, add 100% to get 125%, then multiply by Jane's to get John's)

The percentage 25% is not with respect to the original amount the father had, it is with respect to Jane's inheritance.

The Problem with the 10% answer is that when you work out the Tim+25% method you are changing the percentage.

This reads to me: after its all said and done between them he has 25% more.

55.5% and 44.4% are not 25% apart. Which is why he receives 62.5% and Jane receives 37.5%.

Where:

x=Total inheritance given to Tim and Jane

t=money given Tim

j=money give Jane

P=percent of "t" such that t-t(P)=j+t(P)

These 2 equations must be satisfied under the constraints:

x=t+j

t=.25*x+j

Putting them together:

x=.25*x+2*j

.75*x=2*j

j=.375*x

Thus

t=.25*x+.375*x

t=.625*x

So:

t-t(P)=j+t(P)

t-j=2*t(P)

j+.25*x-j=2*t(P)

.25*x=2*t(P)

.125*x=t(P)

To find portion of Tim's inheritance:

(.125*x)/(.625*t)=P

Set x=100

12.5/62.5=P

P=20.0%

Check:

t-t(P)=j+t(P)

62.5-12.5=37.5+12.5

50.0=50.0

So 12.5% of the inheritance or 20.0% of Tim's portion, although as mentioned earlier the question asks for John's percentage, so who knows.

[Guest]

Nothing. John has nothing to do with Jane. But Tim need to give 10% of his share so that his and his sister may be on equal sharing.

[Guest]

No, it doesn't depend on how you calculate 25%. The question clearly says he got 25% more than his sister. It doesn't say she got 25% less than he. The question is not ambiguous (except for his name!). Your answer of 10% is correct, and the other answer is wrong because it's based on reading the question wrongly.

I got the same answer of 10%, using pretty much the same reasoning: She gets 100, he gets 125. To make it even he has to give her 12.5, which is 10% of his 125.

It depends on how you calculate 25% more but the percentage always changes depending on the dollar amount however you calculate it.

For example, if you start with Jane's amount, say $1000, then 25% more of that would make John's amount $1250. However, if you start with John's amount, say it's the same $1250, then 25% LESS of that would make Jane's amount $937.50.

Starting with John's inheritance at $1000, then Jane's would be $750, totaling $1750. To make it even, John must give Jane $125 so that they both end up with half of the total, or $875. In this case, $125 = 12.5%.

However, if you start with Jane's inheritance at $1000, then 25% more would make John's $1250 and he'd have to give her 12.5% to make it even. Starting with Jane's inheritance at $800, then 25% more would be $1000. In this case, John would have to give Jane $100 or 10% to make it even.

So, no matter how you calculate, the percentage changes depending on the dollar amount.

[Guest]

It depends on how you calculate 25% more but the percentage always changes depending on the dollar amount however you calculate it.

For example, if you start with Jane's amount, say $1000, then 25% more of that would make John's amount $1250. However, if you start with John's amount, say it's the same $1250, then 25% LESS of that would make Jane's amount $937.50.

Starting with John's inheritance at $1000, then Jane's would be $750, totaling $1750. To make it even, John must give Jane $125 so that they both end up with half of the total, or $875. In this case, $125 = 12.5%.

However, if you start with Jane's inheritance at $1000, then 25% more would make John's $1250 and he'd have to give her 12.5% to make it even. Starting with Jane's inheritance at $800, then 25% more would be $1000. In this case, John would have to give Jane $100 or 10% to make it even.

So, no matter how you calculate, the percentage changes depending on the dollar amount.

It doesn't depend on the dollar amount but on what you are referencing.

Whenever you talk about a percentage or a fraction, you must always specify what it is you are taking the fraction of.

The answer to this question should be clear: 25% of what?

If Jane has $1000, and John has 25% more than Jane, than by convention of language we assume that 25% is with respect to Jane's money. So yes, John has $1250.

If you say Jane has 25% less money than John, then by convention of language we assume that in this case the 25% is with respect to John's money. If John has $1250, then Jane would have (*stealing answer*) $937.50.

25% of John's money is a different quantity/object/whatever than 25% of Jane's money, and that is where people are getting confused. They think that because both "objects" are called "25%" for short instead of "25% of John's money" or "25% of Jane's money", that they must be the same object. Then people are getting confused on how to interpret this single object which doesn't exist.

[Guest]

Hello puzzled members. Please read the puzzle carefully. It is Tim who inherited money and not John ( whoever he is or how rich he may be). We are not even sure if Tim is willing to give money to his sister Jane . But if Tim really wanted to equalize their shares. then he must give 10% of his amount. Of course its from what I understood "25% more.." and is base on Jane's amount.

[Guest]

33.33%

[Guest]

if tim got $100 the fed tax man got 28% and the state got 15% HE WAS LEFT WITH 66.3

jane got $75 TAXES LEFT HER 50.25

THEN THE LAWYER CHARGED THEM 200 FOR READING THE WILL

TIMS SHARE WAS 114 JANE PAID 86 LEAVING TIM -47.6 AND JANE -35.25 ADIFFERENCE OF 12.35 IN JANES FAVOR SO SHE SHOULD GIVE TIM 12.35 / 2 OR 6.17