Ask A Scientist Mathematics Archive

Author:      d yuan
Three men, and they go to this hotel.  There, the manager tells them that
there is only one room left.  The three people share that room for thirty
dollars so each person pays ten dollars.  Later the manager found out that
the room is only 25 dollars.  He calls the bell boy and tells them to give
the 5 dollars back the bell boy decides that since you cannot divide 5
dollars by 3 people, so he took 2 for himself and returned to each person 1
dollar.  So each person paid 9 dollars and the bell boy has a two dollars
that is 9 * 3 = 27  plus the bell boy's 2 dollars is 29 dollars.  Where is
the extra dollar?

Response #:  1 of 1
Author:      tee
There is no extra dollar.  The bell boy's $2 is part of the $27 that
they have paid (net) and the other $25 is at the desk.