# Another 6th grade math word problem. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 30, 2004, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836 "2004-09-30T13:19:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/21 "2004-09-30T17:55:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I don’t see why not. Out of those million turkeys, at any given point there’s likely to be one who’s just about almost ready to lay an egg. Unless there’s something causing the turkeys to be synchronized, egg-laying should be approximately uniformly distributed. I can’t decide between: - surely turkeys need their beauty sleep and won’t produce eggs at night (but what about different timezones :eek: ) - this question is a real turkey :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/22 "2004-09-30T18:28:41Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Stated that way, you’re incorrect. 100 are laid in one day. 10,000::100 : 1::x 10,000x = 100 x=100/10,000 x = .01 Seems like pretty simple algebra to me. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/23 "2004-09-30T18:40:05Z")
> [@](#): > > How many days will it take to lay 1 egg? What’s “it” in the above sentence? That’s the problem. I read “it” as “one of the turkeys.” Other people read “it” as “the entire population of the turkeys.” In any case, a farmer who has 100 turkeys probably has them all in the same freakin’ time zone, and turkeys don’t spread their egglaying throughout the day. I’m guessing most egglaying happens within a small window of time, especially in an artificial environment. 1 day seems the most reasonable answer to me. Especially for a problem written by this teacher. I gotta say I’m not impressed by the question’s coda, either. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/24 "2004-09-30T18:48:01Z")
**Chefguy** , you were asking > [@](#): > > If 10,000 eggs are laid in 100 days, how many are laid in one day? but when you did > [@](#): > > 10,000::100 : 1::x > > 10,000x = 100 > > x=100/10,000 > > x = .01 > > Seems like pretty simple algebra to me. You got the ratios backwards. 10,000::100 means 10,000 eggs for every 100 days, while 1::x means 1 day for every x eggs (assuming you’re interested in one day, and not one egg), the reverse of the former. If you want to know how many eggs are laid in one day, you would have 10,000::100 : x::1 and so x=100. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/25 "2004-09-30T19:04:39Z")
Seems like everyone is overthinking this a bit. The answer given the limited information is either 1 day or 0.01 day (or 14.4 minutes). It is quite possible you could get an egg in 1 second if a turkey is ready to lay whenever you decide to start your stopwatch. Or it might take two weeks since turkeys lay eggs in clutches of up to 18 eggs (I was checking to see if this was a trick question like the one about a Rooster laying an egg [rooster being a male chicken doesn’t lay eggs] and came across that tidbit…female turkey is a hen and a male is a tom but generically “turkey” seems to cover both). As such you might get nothing for two weeks and then the whole lot could unload on you. I have no clue if a hen can get pregnant right away again…for all I know she can only do that once a year. In the end it is a simple statistical average that says nothing about what you can count on in the very short term but overall you can see a trend develop that you can count on 10,000 eggs every 100 days which when averaged out gets you your answer of 1 egg every 14.4 minutes even though that may bear no resemblance to reality. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/26 "2004-09-30T19:16:00Z")
The important, real life lesson, is that you can make a baby in one months by getting nine women pregnant. I also agree that the question could be a bit more clearly worded. My 3rd grade daughter missed a problem on her homework last week that had her in tears. The question used a matrix of numbers, with the odd and even numbers highlighted differently, and asked to “start at two, skip count for 12”. The answer my daughter put was 24 ( 2 x 12 = 24) but the teacher was looking for 26 (start at 2, count by twos for 12 counts). The main issue I have with that problem as worded is that it’s practically worthless in terms of real life associations. “Skip counting” seems like a mechanism to teach kids multiples, but it gives the false impression that 2 x 12 = 26. So then what’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/27 "2004-09-30T19:16:19Z")
While we’re talking turkey and on the subject of eggs, I just thought I’d mention something that surprised the hell out of me when I first read it. Turkeys can reproduce without the benefit of sex: [Parthenogenesis](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a991008a.html). ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/28 "2004-09-30T19:28:31Z")
**ShibbOleth** , you’re daughter was very clever for just multiplying the times of skips by the amount (2), but she forgot that she started at 2. On a problem like this, you need to factor in the starting point. (_number of skips_ \* _length of skip_) + _starting point_ = end. An answer of 24 is right if she started at zero. Since the problem stated “start at 2”, the formula is (2 x 12) + 2 = 26. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/29 "2004-09-30T19:47:02Z")
> [@Cabbage](#): > > While we’re talking turkey and on the subject of eggs, I just thought I’d mention something that surprised the hell out of me when I first read it. Turkeys can reproduce without the benefit of sex: [Parthenogenesis](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a991008a.html). This is a perfect example of why I love this board soooo much. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/30 "2004-09-30T19:51:59Z")
Thank to all! The answer is due tommorrow. I’ll have her use the formula where she will (hopefully) come up with 1/100 of a day or .01 days. I’ll be back here Tuesday to let you know it turned out. Honey ---
**Author:** ![galt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@galt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galt)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/31 "2004-09-30T21:21:48Z")
> [@Frank #2](#): > > **ShibbOleth** , you’re daughter was very clever for just multiplying the times of skips by the amount (2), but she forgot that she started at 2. On a problem like this, you need to factor in the starting point. (_number of skips_ \* _length of skip_) + _starting point_ = end. > > An answer of 24 is right if she started at zero. Since the problem stated “start at 2”, the formula is (2 x 12) + 2 = 26. It’s still ambiguous. “Start at 2” might mean the first number to be counted is 2, and it might mean the next number is the first one. In fact, notice how subtle the difference is between “Start at 2 and skip count 12 numbers” and “starting at 2, skip count 12 numbers.” Given the latter, I would definitely say 2 is the first number to be counted, and it’s not unreasonable to interpret those two instructions identically. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/32 "2004-09-30T21:26:11Z")
> [@Cabbage](#): > > **Chefguy** , you were asking > > but when you did > > You got the ratios backwards. 10,000::100 means 10,000 eggs for every 100 days, while 1::x means 1 day for every x eggs (assuming you’re interested in one day, and not one egg), the reverse of the former. > > If you want to know how many eggs are laid in one day, you would have > > 10,000::100 : x::1 > > and so x=100. Er…not to get all wrapped up in an argument, but no, that’s not correct. Question is how many **days** , not how many **eggs** : 10,000 eggs in 100 days : 1 egg in how many days (x). I’ll stand by my logic. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/33 "2004-09-30T21:49:46Z")
> [@Cabbage](#): > > Turkeys can reproduce without the benefit of sex: [Parthenogenesis](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a991008a.html). That’s a good thing, because most turkeys I know only get the benefit of sex if they can pay for it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/34 "2004-09-30T21:51:30Z")
Well we cant be sure the turkeys will lay an egg within the .01 day time frame and we cant be sure they will lay all 100 within the first day. (there could be slacker/ procrastinating turkeys putting off the job till later). If conditions are bad (wild fox gets in the pen) they may not lay at all for a day or so till they calm down. I’d say the answer was; most likely \< 1 day very probably within 2 days Almost certainly within 3 days Or something like; None, farmer Brown can’t lay eggs. ---
**Author:** ![galt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@galt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galt)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/35 "2004-10-01T00:07:09Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Er…not to get all wrapped up in an argument, but no, that’s not correct. Question is how many **days** , not how many **eggs** : 10,000 eggs in 100 days : 1 egg in how many days (x). I’ll stand by my logic. To quote your earlier post: > [@Chefguy](#): > > The question is not stated well. It implies “If 10,000 eggs are laid in 100 days, how many are laid in one day?” Using simple ration and proportion, the answer is .01. You were claiming .01 eggs are laid in one day, which is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/36 "2004-10-01T00:49:13Z")
**Chefguy** , this was just addressed by **galt** , but I just want to try and be clear on where the confusion came from. The OP asked > [@](#): > > His 100 turkeys lay 10,000 every 100 days. How many days will it take to lay 1 egg? The correct answer to this is .01 days (assuming the turkeys lay eggs at a constant rate). However, then you asked > [@](#): > > If 10,000 eggs are laid in 100 days, how many are laid in one day? This is a different question, and it is this question I was answering when I gave the answer of 100 eggs. But the two questions are inverses of each other. .01 days per egg, or 100 eggs per day, whichever–they say the same thing, but the former addresses the question posed in the OP, while the latter addresses your question. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/37 "2004-10-01T02:07:11Z")
**Have they been studying rounding off?** If the teacher has been taking them through **rounding off numbers** , and the answer to the question is to be in integral numbers of days, then the answer is zero days. Because the first egg will happen in a time interval that’s a lot closer to zero days than to one day. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/38 "2004-10-05T17:49:30Z")
_Update_ My daughter worked through the problem and handed the answer in on Friday. She did not however, put her name on the paper :smack: and the teacher threw it away :mad: . I have sent an e-mail to her teacher and am awaiting a reply. More later. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/39 "2004-10-05T23:09:23Z")
Ooh, I had teachers that would do that. So annoying. But, I didn’t forget to put my name on it very often. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836/40 "2004-10-06T00:37:45Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > Farmer Brown sells turkey eggs. They are for people with large appetites. His 100 turkeys lay 10,000 every 100 days. > How many days will it take to lay 1 egg? I vote that the question was asked wrong. If the answer is supposed to be grade school simple, then the right question should have been… How many days does is take a turkey to lay 1 egg? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-6th-grade-math-word-problem/266836.md?page=3)