How much does the ball cost?

[Fredm]

A bat and ball costs $1.10.

The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball.

How much does the ball cost?

 

[Dave M]

The ball costs $.05. Thus, the bat costs $1.05. The two together total $1.10.

From a math standpoint, where X equals the cost of the ball,

X + (X+$1.00) = $1.10

Solving for X,

2X + $1.00 = $1.10

2X = $.10

X = $.05

 

[pjrose]

nothing, and there's 10% tax.

 

[Fredm]

The ball costs $.05. Thus, the bat costs $1.05. The two together total $1.10.

From a math standpoint, where X equals the cost of the ball,

X + (X+$1.00) = $1.10

Solving for X,

2X + $1.00 = $1.10

2X = $.10

X = $.05

Correct!

90% get it wrong by not doing what you did.

 

[tompalm]

I saw this on GPS today and it didn't bother me that I got it wrong. What bothers me is that it took me a long time to figure out why. Pretty tricky question.

 

[BevL]

I hate math.

 

[pjrose]

I did it algebraically in my head and came up with 5¢ right away, but decided that it must be a trick question, so instead came up with 0¢ + 10% tax.

 

[Htoo0]

I'd always heard it as, "A bottle and a cork cost a dollar and a dime. The bottle cost a dollar more than the cork. How much did the cork cost?" I wonder if the wording of a dime vs 10 cents makes it even more difficult to think about the math?

 

[caribbeansun]

So you are saying that 90% of people can't do simple math? I find that a bit hard to believe.

Correct!

90% get it wrong by not doing what you did.

 

[Blues]

So you are saying that 90% of people can't do simple math? I find that a bit hard to believe.

This was the lead-in question on a segment of the Fareed Zakaria GPS show this past Sunday. It was a lead-in to an interview with a psychologist who wrote a book about "fast" thinking versus "slow" thinking. His claim is that this problem requires "slow" thinking, and most people just don't bother. So yes, his claim is that 90% of the people will get this wrong when asked.

Personally, I found it to be a trivial problem, and one that I solved in a fraction of a second (i.e., as "fast" thinking). To me, the dollar goes to the side as the extra, and you divide the dime between the bat and the ball, leaving a nickle for each. Then add the dollar back in for the bat.

Be that as it may, it continually amazes me how bad the "average" person is at math. So yes, while I once would have found it hard to believe too, my expectations have been lowered.

-Bob

 

[Ridewithme38]

I think we are missing the important stuff here...

Where can i buy a bat for $1.05 and a ball for $.05?

 

[pjrose]

I think we are missing the important stuff here...

Where can i buy a bat for $1.05 and a ball for $.05?

Good one, Ride! :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:

 

[Fredm]

So you are saying that 90% of people can't do simple math? I find that a bit hard to believe.

I know what you mean.

But, as Blues said fast thinking causes most people to misread the question.
It is simple math that almost anyone can do, but most don't think about what is being asked.

Not only do 90% get it wrong, the sample population was from Stanford and Harvard.

One of those silly things I find interesting.

 

[Kurt Brown]

More than a buck!

The ball that got dropped in NYC on New Year's Eve cost me more than a buck. Got it cheap at a 99 cent store, with a bit of damage. Previous year's model. Scratch and dent, so to speak. Not the brightest bulb in the chandelier! Cobwebs and a little stuff hanging off of it. Coupla rats inside chasing each other around for a bit of cheese-like. Bargained it down to 50 cents.

Magic marker (69c) to change "1843" to "2012". Passed around a bottle of bubbly. Doubt that anyone noticed the switcheroo.

Bat? What bat? Clerk must have left that out. No wonder it was so cheap!

Glad I could help a little,
Kurt

 

[Htoo0]

I've caught bats I would gladly sell for a dollar-five.
The version I heard has been around longer than I have. But I'm not sure most people actually do the math. There are a number of 'questions' which seem to stump people time and again. If a boat has a ladder attached to the side with 12 rungs, each a foot apart and there are ten showing at low tide, how many are visible at high tide when the water rises two feet?

 

[KarenLK]

Way back in the dark ages, in high school, I did not hate math, but i was never good at what I think we called word problems....like filling the bathtub with the drain open, or two cars going at different speeds. We had a Math 11 course here in New York State and I got a 98 on the state exam [Regents], but did horribly in geometry because of those word problems.

 

[GregT]

I've caught bats I would gladly sell for a dollar-five.
The version I heard has been around longer than I have. But I'm not sure most people actually do the math. There are a number of 'questions' which seem to stump people time and again. If a boat has a ladder attached to the side with 12 rungs, each a foot apart and there are ten showing at low tide, how many are visible at high tide when the water rises two feet?

Still 10........

 

[caribbeansun]

Oh brother that's not good.

Not only do 90% get it wrong, the sample population was from Stanford and Harvard.

One of those silly things I find interesting.

 

[BevL]

I've caught bats I would gladly sell for a dollar-five.
The version I heard has been around longer than I have. But I'm not sure most people actually do the math. There are a number of 'questions' which seem to stump people time and again. If a boat has a ladder attached to the side with 12 rungs, each a foot apart and there are ten showing at low tide, how many are visible at high tide when the water rises two feet?

This one I got right away but it's a comprehension question, not a math question, if that makes sense.

 

[djs]

I read it wrong, when my mouse hovered over the thread on the previous page I read that the total cost was $10 and came up with $4.50 and $5.50. I'm pretty sure those add up to $10 and that one of those figures is $1.00 more than the other but that may be another way that people get it wrong (though, I'm sure it wasn't a trick question in that I was supposed to read the details wrong).

 

[pjrose]

I've caught bats I would gladly sell for a dollar-five.
The version I heard has been around longer than I have. But I'm not sure most people actually do the math. There are a number of 'questions' which seem to stump people time and again. If a boat has a ladder attached to the side with 12 rungs, each a foot apart and there are ten showing at low tide, how many are visible at high tide when the water rises two feet?

Still 10........

Assuming the boat is floating and not stuck in the mud or sand

 

[pjrose]

The ball that got dropped in NYC on New Year's Eve cost me more than a buck. Got it cheap at a 99 cent store, with a bit of damage. Previous year's model. Scratch and dent, so to speak. Not the brightest bulb in the chandelier! Cobwebs and a little stuff hanging off of it. Coupla rats inside chasing each other around for a bit of cheese-like. Bargained it down to 50 cents.

Magic marker (69c) to change "1843" to "2012". Passed around a bottle of bubbly. Doubt that anyone noticed the switcheroo.

Bat? What bat? Clerk must have left that out. No wonder it was so cheap!

Glad I could help a little,
Kurt

AAAAAKKKKKKK - you should have taken it to Antiques Roadshow before you "restored" it with the marker!

 

[Htoo0]

Still 10........

Easy enough but it's surprising how many will get it wrong I think because they assume they need to 'do the math' instead of realizing it's not necessary. I also suspect people don't always 'do the math' with the ball and bat, they hear dollar and 10 cents, the bat is a dollar (more) so the ball must be 10 cents. In both cases it's more that they don't really listen and comprehend the question, they just take a quick guess and the wording trips them up. But that's just my opinion which probably is not worth a dollar or 10 cents.