Answer this quickly (and hopefully correctly)

[Gangster Octopus]

A hot dog and a soda cost $1.10. The hot dog is a dollar more than the soda, how much is the soda?

[Taomist]

A nickel.

Wait...what are the taxes?

[Sicks Ate]

.5

[Lancia]

Originally Posted by Sicks Ate

.5

As in, 50 cents??

Man, you guys got me totally confused.

[tdn]

5 copper disks.

[Sicks Ate]

Originally Posted by Lancia

As in, 50 cents??

Man, you guys got me totally confused.

Uh....yeah typo, I was going for .05

[Senegoid]

Originally Posted by Sicks Ate

.5

Verizon math!

[billfish678]

The funny thing about this question is this. You can easily jump to an answer that you think is correct. The important part is that you can then very easily CHECK what you think the answer is once you THINK you've got it. That a good fraction of smart people never bothered to do the second part doesn't surprise me in the least. Because they are so used to being right it often doesn't occur to them to consider they might not be.

[olivesmarch4th]

Ten cents.

ETA: Math fail. I was never good at this stuff. 5 cents?

[runner pat]

2 dollars. There's no way a nickel's worth of soda will be enough.

[TriPolar]

This must have been in the old days where a soda cost a nickel. But then the hot dog would only cost a nickel then too. Everything cost a nickel in the old days, it was the only unit of currency. So the question has no reality based answer, just a theoretical one.

[Autolycus]

Originally Posted by TriPolar

This must have been in the old days where a soda cost a nickel. But then the hot dog would only cost a nickel then too. Everything cost a nickel in the old days, it was the only unit of currency. So the question has no reality based answer, just a theoretical one.

Yeah, everything did cost a nickel back then. Even to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Give me five bees for a quarter, you'd say.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Originally Posted by Autolycus

Yeah, everything did cost a nickel back then. Even to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Give me five bees for a quarter, you'd say.

If a belt and an onion cost $1.10, and the belt costs a dollar more than the onion, how much does the onion cost?

[Taomist]

Wait...is this in New York and the soda is over 16 oz? 'cause that's illegal territory, bud!

[Lancia]

All right, help me out here... how does 1.10 - 1.00 = .05? Is there some new rule of basic arithmetic that's been discovered since I was in gradeschool?

[Leaffan]

Originally Posted by Lancia

All right, help me out here... how does 1.10 - 1.00 = .05? Is there some new rule of basic arithmetic that's been discovered since I was in gradeschool?

I must be dumb too, because I instantly said "ten cents."

[Lukeinva]

Originally Posted by Leaffan

I must be dumb too, because I instantly said "ten cents."

If the soda was 10c the hot dog would be 90c more than the soda.

[Leaffan]

Originally Posted by Lukeinva

If the soda was 10c the hot dog would be 90c more than the soda.

You don't say?

I'm pretty sure I figured out where my math went wrong after thinking about the question for a few seconds. The whole idea was NOT to think though, but to answer quickly. Which I did. And was obviously trapped like a lot of other people who answered quickly.

[Irishman]

This isn't a math problem, it's an ambiguity of English problem.

If I pay 10 cents for a soda (and where can you get a deal like that?), then I pay a dollar more for a hot dog, I pay $1.10 for a hot dog and a soda, and the hot dog cost $1.

It's all in the phrase "a dollar more than".

[Alan3354]

Originally Posted by leaffan

i must be dumb too, because i instantly said "ten cents."

$0.05 + $1.05 = $1.10

[tdn]

Originally Posted by Lancia

All right, help me out here... how does 1.10 - 1.00 = .05? Is there some new rule of basic arithmetic that's been discovered since I was in gradeschool?

If the hot dog costs a dollar more than the soda, and if the soda is 5 cents, then

.05 + 1.00 = 1.05.

The cost of the soda and hot dog together:

.05 + 1.05 = 1.10.

[Lancia]

Originally Posted by tdn

If the hot dog costs a dollar more than the soda, and if the soda is 5 cents, then

.05 + 1.00 = 1.05.

The cost of the soda and hot dog together:

.05 + 1.05 = 1.10.

Now I get it.

[tdn]

Originally Posted by Lancia

Now I get it.

Yeah, but where did the other 2 dollars go?

[TriPolar]

Originally Posted by tdn

Yeah, but where did the other 2 dollars go?

The bellhop kept it.

[Taomist]

Originally Posted by tdn

yeah, but where did the other 2 dollars go?

i want my two dollars!!!

[Cat Whisperer]

The soda is five cents, the hot dog is 1.05 dollars - therefore, the hot dog is one dollar more than the soda if the soda is five cents.

Caveat: I"m no math genius. If I'm wrong, well, it won't be the first time.

[Leaffan]

nm

[Lancia]

Originally Posted by Cat Whisperer

The soda is five cents, the hot dog is 1.05 dollars - therefore, the hot dog is one dollar more than the soda if the soda is five cents.

Caveat: I"m no math genius. If I'm wrong, well, it won't be the first time.

Does not compute. If the soda is 5 cents (.05) and the hot dog costs one dollar more (one dollar being an even 1.00), then the total should be 1.05, right? 1.00 + .05 = 1.05.

[tdn]

Originally Posted by Lancia

Does not compute. If the soda is 5 cents (.05) and the hot dog costs one dollar more (one dollar being an even 1.00), then the total should be 1.05, right? 1.00 + .05 = 1.05.

No, the hot dog is a dollar more, making it 1.05. That's the hot dog alone. What's the hot dog PLUS the soda?

[Drunky Smurf]

.5 cents.

SPOILER:

[tdn]

Originally Posted by Drunky Smurf

.5 cents.

A hapenny?

[Ethilrist]

Originally Posted by tdn

A hapenny?

Tuppence a bag.

[Gangster Octopus]

If it makes folks feel any better, half of students at Harvard, Princeton and MIT got this question wrong when asked. Whether you get it right or not is not really correlated with your intelligence.

[Sicks Ate]

Originally Posted by Gangster Octopus

If it makes folks feel any better, half of students at Harvard, Princeton and MIT got this question wrong when asked. Whether you get it right or not is not really correlated with your intelligence.

I knew MIT wasn't worth my time.

[SpyOne]

Originally Posted by Gangster Octopus

If it makes folks feel any better, half of students at Harvard, Princeton and MIT got this question wrong when asked. Whether you get it right or not is not really correlated with your intelligence.

OR attending Harvard, Princeton, and MIT is not really correlated with intelligence.

Just sayin', not enough data here to support your conclusion.

Oh, and possibly both: maybe getting the question right is unrelated to intelligence, AND counter to stereotype those schools have as many idiots as geniuses in attendance.

[InternetLegend]

Originally Posted by Gangster Octopus

If it makes folks feel any better, half of students at Harvard, Princeton and MIT got this question wrong when asked. Whether you get it right or not is not really correlated with your intelligence.

Apparently not. My Brilliant Daughter got it wrong and I got it right the first time.

[Gagundathar]

It is all in the wording.
Obviously if you choose $1.00 for the hot dog and $0.10 for the drink, the difference is $0.90.
So, to fulfill the requirements of this little gem, you have to say $1.05 for the hot dog and $0.05 for the drink. That makes the difference equal to $1.00.

Shall I draw a diagram? ;-)

[Dallas Jones]

What if I ordered water with my hot dog and the water was free? But the cup was .05 and then I spilled the water on my girfriend and asked for another cup, which they gave to me free?

How much is this girl going to cost me, eventually?

[Shagnasty]

Originally Posted by Dallas Jones

What if I ordered water with my hot dog and the water was free? But the cup was .05 and then I spilled the water on my girfriend and asked for another cup, which they gave to me free?

How much is this girl going to cost me, eventually?

Everything you have and then some eventually.

[tdn]

Originally Posted by Dallas Jones

What if I ordered water with my hot dog and the water was free? But the cup was .05 and then I spilled the water on my girfriend and asked for another cup, which they gave to me free?

How much is this girl going to cost me, eventually?

Your soul.

[doorhinge]

Originally Posted by Dallas Jones

What if I ordered water with my hot dog and the water was free? But the cup was .05 and then I spilled the water on my girfriend and asked for another cup, which they gave to me free?

How much is this girl going to cost me, eventually?

If you marry her, pssst her off, and she divorces you then the answer would be "exactly half your stuff".

[flatlined]

42

Because that is the answer to any math question. It gives me time to think about a better answer.

[Cat Whisperer]

Originally Posted by flatlined

42

Because that is the answer to any math question. It gives me time to think about a better answer.

Hey! You totally copied that off of my paper! (I gave that answer in the other math thread yesterday, which I am too lazy to look up.)

Actually, us copying off each other probably isn't the best idea for our math grades - how about we go to the cafeteria and eat french fries and gossip instead?

[Enkel]

Originally Posted by Gangster Octopus

A hot dog and a soda cost $1.10. The hot dog is a dollar more than the soda, how much is the soda?

I'm in the process of editing right now, so this is what my mind did:

A hot dog and a soda cost $1.10. The hot dog is a dollar, more than the soda. How much is the soda?

Answer: $0.10

[sandra_nz]

Originally Posted by Gangster Octopus

A hot dog and a soda cost $1.10. The hot dog is a dollar more than the soda, how much is the soda?

Posting before reading the thread. The soda is $0.05.

[Alka Seltzer]

I got it wrong as well. I take it you got it from here Gangster Octopus?

The conclusion of that article is a bit depressing. "People who were aware of their own biases were not better able to overcome them.”

[denquixote]

Originally Posted by Alka Seltzer

I got it wrong as well. I take it you got it from here Gangster Octopus?

The conclusion of that article is a bit depressing. "People who were aware of their own biases were not better able to overcome them.”

Thanks for the cite. I got this one wrong too about 50 years ago, but have never forgotten it. I'm glad to find out why.

[BigT]

Originally Posted by Alka Seltzer

I got it wrong as well. I take it you got it from here Gangster Octopus?

The conclusion of that article is a bit depressing. "People who were aware of their own biases were not better able to overcome them.”

I'm not entirely sure they can actually conclude this. How are they asking people about their biases? Knowing that a textbook says I will do X doesn't make me less likely to do X, as the information hasn't been thoroughly integrated into my normal thought processes. It's just a bit of trivia.

I'm also curious how they present this test in such a way that smart people wouldn't also be looking for a trick, and thus be on their guard. The real problem is this showing up in real life, when most people are not inherently aware of their own biases. It takes a lot of training to not trust even your own thinking, and, even then, are the rewards worth it? Those shortcuts exist for a reason--they help us make quick decisions when time matters.

[Musicat]

High school algebra. I'll take it slow for the math-impaired.

Let S represent the cost of a soda, and H, the cost of a hot dog.

The premise is

S + H = 1.10

and

H = S + 1.00

Substituting H in the first equation,

S + (S+1.00) = 1.10

Reduces to

S + S + 1.00 = 1.10

2S + 1.00 = 1.10

2S = 1.10 - 1.00

2S = .10

S = .10/2

S = .05, so a soda costs a nickel. For you Aussies, that's a 5-cent piece.^*

-----------------------------

^* I was in Sydney long ago, and the bank teller didn't understand me when I asked for nickels in change so I could make a phone call. Apparently "nickel" isn't globally universal for "5-cent piece," and it wasn't obvious to this Yank. Stupid foreigners.

[GuanoLad]

Originally Posted by Musicat

^* I was in Sydney long ago, and the bank teller didn't understand me when I asked for nickels in change so I could make a phone call. Apparently "nickel" isn't globally universal for "5-cent piece," and it wasn't obvious to this Yank. Stupid foreigners.

You would've been totally out of luck if you'd wanted it in quarters.