# A simple math question.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-math-question/27416>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 30, 2000, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-math-question/27416 "2000-07-30T06:47:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2000, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-math-question/27416/1 "2000-07-30T06:47:18Z")

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I hate it when my brain does this, so please help me out.  
In a cartoon in a local weekly one of the characters said “G. Bush Jr. Is going to release 10,000 balloons (something like that) at the republican convention. That’s 25% more than the democrats, and 100% more than Ralph Nader.”  
Ok, does this mean that the demos are going to release 7,500? And how many is Nader going to release?  
Twenty-five percent more than 7,500 is 9,375. Twenty-five percent more than zero is zero.  
Damn, I thought I finally had this down. 😕  
Too much coffee, that’s it.  
Peace,  
mangeorge

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**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2000, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-math-question/27416/2 "2000-07-30T07:00:05Z")

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100% more then Ralph Nader is easy, that’s twice as many, so Ralph Nader is releasing 5000.  
1.25x=10000  
therefore  
x=10000/1.25 = 10000\*4/5

8000

Get a lot of practice with this after explaining U.S./Canadian currency conversion to people who seem to think that you always divide/multiply by the same 2/3 or 3/4 or whatever the current value is…

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**Author:** ![Nanook\_of\_the\_North\_Shore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Nanook\_of\_the\_North\_Shore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanook_of_the_North_Shore)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2000, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-math-question/27416/3 "2000-07-30T08:23:19Z")

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Condsidering its a cartoon, I would imagine that Nader is releasing none and they didn’t bother getting the math right.

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**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2000, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-math-question/27416/4 "2000-07-30T15:29:42Z")

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**Kyberneticist** got the math right, but I think **Nanook of the North Shore** has the correct answer. The joke works better if you _don’t_do the math right. Another example where the humor works better if you don’t do the math right: “I saw a book that tells how to get your work done in half the time. I’m gonna read it twice!”

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**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2000, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-math-question/27416/5 "2000-07-30T15:42:13Z")

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Yep. If Nader were releasing 100% fewer, Nader would be releasing no balloons. If Bush were releasing 100% more than Nader, Nader would be releasing 5 000.

picmr