1. SPS Accounts:
    Do you find yourself coming back time after time? Do you appreciate the ongoing hard work to keep this community focused and successful in its mission? Please consider supporting us by upgrading to an SPS Account. Besides the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting a good cause, you'll also get a significant number of ever-expanding perks and benefits on the site and the forums. Click here to find out more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
You are currently viewing Boards o' Magick as a guest, but you can register an account here. Registration is fast, easy and free. Once registered you will have access to search the forums, create and respond to threads, PM other members, upload screenshots and access many other features unavailable to guests.

BoM cultivates a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. We have been aiming for quality over quantity with our forums from their inception, and believe that this distinction is truly tangible and valued by our members. We'd love to have you join us today!

(If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you've forgotten your username or password, click here.)

Puzzling Questions

Discussion in 'Whatnots' started by Gaear, May 1, 2012.

Page 1 of 2
  1. Gaear

    Gaear ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2006
    Messages:
    1,877
    Media:
    13
    Likes Received:
    180
    Remove all ads!
    I saw this question posed in an article I read about differentiating between types of thinkers or some such, but the most interesting part was the question itself. Please answer as intuitively or rationally as you like, but don't look it up or anything. I was kind of surprised by how much trouble I had with it. Maybe I am just a dope, but they say many people get it wrong. :D

    Question: If a ball and a bat cost $1.10 together, and the bat costs $1.00 more than the ball, how much does the ball cost?
     
    Gaear, May 1, 2012
    #1
  2. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2004
    Messages:
    9,776
    Media:
    15
    Likes Received:
    440
    Gender:
    Male
    Not sure why this would be difficult, but then again I work with numbers every day.

    5 cents. Subtract a dollar and divide by two. I guess the most common error is to choose ten cents.

    The more important question here is where can you get a ball and bat for $1.10?
     
    T2Bruno, May 1, 2012
    #2
  3. Dice

    Dice ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2002
    Messages:
    5,125
    Media:
    24
    Likes Received:
    149
    Gender:
    Female
    OK, since this is obviously a trick question, I don't understand why the ball doesn't cost .10. Why did you divide by 2 Bruno?
     
    Dice, May 1, 2012
    #3
  4. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2000
    Messages:
    10,415
    Media:
    40
    Likes Received:
    232
    Gender:
    Male
    Ball + Bat = $1.10
    Bat = Ball + $1.00
    Ball + Ball + $1.00 = $1.10
    2Ball + $1.00 = $1.10
    2Ball = $.10
    Ball = $.05
    Not really a trick question, but I suppose it could fool people by saying the bat is one dollar more than the ball.

    If the ball costs $.10 then the bat being a dollar more would be $1.10 so the total would be $1.20, not $1.10.
     
    Blackthorne TA, May 1, 2012
    #4
  5. Blades of Vanatar

    Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2008
    Messages:
    4,147
    Likes Received:
    224
    Gender:
    Male
    I sit with several Engineers at work. I just sent that question to 6 of them. 3 provided the right answer.
     
    Blades of Vanatar, May 1, 2012
    #5
  6. Master of Nuhn

    Master of Nuhn Wear it like a crown Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Dec 16, 2001
    Messages:
    3,815
    Media:
    21
    Likes Received:
    97
    Gender:
    Male
    Then the other 3 are unsuitable for the job, imo.
     
    Master of Nuhn, May 2, 2012
    #6
  7. Dice

    Dice ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2002
    Messages:
    5,125
    Media:
    24
    Likes Received:
    149
    Gender:
    Female
    You mean the three that got the answer right? :lol:
     
    Dice, May 2, 2012
    #7
  8. Arabwel

    Arabwel Screaming towards Apotheosis Veteran

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2001
    Messages:
    7,965
    Media:
    2
    Likes Received:
    16
    Gender:
    Female
    What's ten plus twenty divided by half?
     
    Arabwel, May 3, 2012
    #8
  9. reepnorp

    reepnorp Lim'n Lime Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2002
    Messages:
    1,675
    Media:
    1
    Likes Received:
    12
    Gender:
    Male
    Strictly speaking, 60.
     
    reepnorp, May 3, 2012
    #9
  10. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2000
    Messages:
    10,415
    Media:
    40
    Likes Received:
    232
    Gender:
    Male
    Or if you follow standard precedence order it could be fifty.
    Or if you follow implied language order and take "divided by half" to mean "divided in half" it could be fifteen.
    Or if you follow standard precedence order and take "divided by half" to mean "divided in half" it could be twenty.

    :D
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2012
    Blackthorne TA, May 3, 2012
    #10
  11. Silvery

    Silvery I won't pretend to be your friend coz I'm just not ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2005
    Messages:
    3,224
    Media:
    40
    Likes Received:
    218
    Gender:
    Female
    [​IMG]
     
    Silvery, May 3, 2012
    #11
    Merlanni and T2Bruno like this.
  12. Blades of Vanatar

    Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2008
    Messages:
    4,147
    Likes Received:
    224
    Gender:
    Male
    You have a warped mind...:p
     
    Blades of Vanatar, May 3, 2012
    #12
  13. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2000
    Messages:
    10,415
    Media:
    40
    Likes Received:
    232
    Gender:
    Male
    Oops, that last one should have been twenty, not ten... corrected above. :)
     
    Blackthorne TA, May 3, 2012
    #13
  14. Mesmero

    Mesmero How'd an old elf get the blues?

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2001
    Messages:
    1,958
    Likes Received:
    12
    Half of what? ;) I think it should be 2, or maybe 12 :p
     
    Mesmero, May 3, 2012
    #14
  15. Déise

    Déise Both happy and miserable, without the happy part!

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2007
    Messages:
    631
    Likes Received:
    30
    That sounds like one of those late night game show scams where they spend the night getting people to ring in and then say all the answers are wrong.
     
    Déise, May 3, 2012
    #15
  16. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2000
    Messages:
    10,415
    Media:
    40
    Likes Received:
    232
    Gender:
    Male
    I can see 12. Or 3. Or 0. How do you get 2? :)
     
    Blackthorne TA, May 3, 2012
    #16
  17. Dice

    Dice ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2002
    Messages:
    5,125
    Media:
    24
    Likes Received:
    149
    Gender:
    Female
    I'm with Silvery on this one.
     
    Dice, May 3, 2012
    #17
    Silvery likes this.
  18. reepnorp

    reepnorp Lim'n Lime Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2002
    Messages:
    1,675
    Media:
    1
    Likes Received:
    12
    Gender:
    Male
    I rather enjoy tricky math word problems like these. My boss and I both have math degrees so every once in a while one of us comes across really good ones that nearly drive the other insane. Next time one of us has one I'll put it up here, see what you guys get.

    Here's the worst one I've seen in a while (worst in that it isn't thaaat complicated and took me way longer than it should have). A friend of mine sent it to me and then after spending several hours to figure it out, he told me it was to get some prize in Neopets.

     
    reepnorp, May 4, 2012
    #18
  19. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2004
    Messages:
    9,776
    Media:
    15
    Likes Received:
    440
    Gender:
    Male
    8/(3-(8/3))
     
    T2Bruno, May 4, 2012
    #19
  20. Silvery

    Silvery I won't pretend to be your friend coz I'm just not ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2005
    Messages:
    3,224
    Media:
    40
    Likes Received:
    218
    Gender:
    Female
    Shame Carol Vorderman isn't on here, we could have a geeky countdown :)
     
    Silvery, May 4, 2012
    #20
Page 1 of 2
Sorcerer's Place is a project run entirely by fans and for fans. Maintaining Sorcerer's Place and a stable environment for all our hosted sites requires a substantial amount of our time and funds on a regular basis, so please consider supporting us to keep the site up & running smoothly. Thank you!

Sorcerers.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.