Three men decided to split the cost of a hotel room. The hotel manager gave them a price of $30.

The men split the bill evenly, each paying $10, and went to their room. However, the hotel manager realized that it was a Wednesday night, which meant the hotel had a special: rooms were only $25. He had overcharged them $5!

He called the bellboy, gave him five one-dollar bills and told him to return it to the men.

When the bellboy explained the situation to the men, they were so pleased at the honesty of the establishment that they promptly tipped the bellboy $2 of the $5 he had returned and each kept $1 for himself.

So each of the three men ended up paying $9 (their original $10, minus $1 back) totalling $27, plus $2 for the bellboy makes $29.

Where did the extra dollar go?

BLOND.??.. LOL.

There wasn't an extra dollar.
While returning the $5, the men gave $2 to the bellboy. That means that $3 was returned, for a total of $28 paid for a $25 room. Assuming that the men each paid $9 even is the fallacy.

I poated this late one night a few months ago, we had fun, but no one could explain it. I sure wish I could ask my jr high math teacher about this one.

Each man put in 10 & was returned 1, that does equal 9 apiece,& the 2 for the bellhop. (9x3)+2 =29

With respect--it does not equal 9 apiece.

30 minus 5 = 25; at that point the men each had paid $8.33; then add $3 (for what they kept of the returned money) to equal $9.33 each. That is how the $2 for the tip totals $30.
The totals never equalled $27 at any point, which would be necessary for the men to have paid $9 each.

Ok your math is correct, but it does not show what actually happened. Each man pays 10 dollars, that equals 30. The bell hop comes back with the 5 dollar refund, 5 one dollar bills. Each man takes 1 one dollar bill & the bellhop gets 2 so the 5 ones are all accounted for. The men each paid 10.00 & were refunded 1.00 that equals 9.00 apiece. Imagine the actual bills exchanging hands, there is no change. The bellhop's tip eliminates the need for change. 3 men pay 9.00 apiece, the bellhop has 2, that equals 29.00.

It dosn't work out. That's the whole point. It defies the rules of math as we were taught in grade school.

Yah.

I see your point.

But I changed my mind.

If I paid $30 at the market for groceries, and then got $5 back on sale items, then spent $2 on one more item...I would have $3 left of that $30. That is what happened in this problem...There isn't a missing $1. The 3 men were left with $3 of the original $30...just like I would be, in the grocery equation.

I think.

Scoundrel this problem drives me nuts. I feel like it's the key to conquering my lifelong hatred of math. I am great at word probelms, but cannot translate them into proper algebra.

Uh-huh.
If you tried to make love for 30 days in a row, but then 5 days were off limits...and then you found out that 2 of those 5 days were a go...you have 3 days left to recuperate. If you're missing one more condom than expected, where did it go?

Ask Bristol Palin.

The Missing Dollar is not really a magic trick, but a mathematical riddle.

The faulty reasoning lies in the addition at the end.

3 x $9 does equal $27, but the $2 tip is included in that $27, so it makes no sense to add the $2 to $27 to make $29.

They paid $25 for the hotel room, $2 for the tip ($27), and then got $1 back each to make the original $30.

OK Whisper I think you have it right somehow, but it is still confusing to me.

OK I think I understand now!

Whisper I am impressed! You don't know how many people I have presented this problem to & none could solve it.

NOW the question is, why couldn't I see this before?

you were trying to hard

OC I am told that a lot,in many situations.

I can under that that I my self do in some situations