# Answer this quickly (and hopefully correctly) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 13, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040 "2012-06-13T18:21:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/21 "2012-06-13T18:47:57Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/22 "2012-06-13T18:50:13Z")
> [@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? ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/23 "2012-06-13T18:52:30Z")
> [@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. :smack: Now I get it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/24 "2012-06-13T18:54:39Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > :smack: > > Now I get it. Yeah, but where did the other 2 dollars go? ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/25 "2012-06-13T19:03:13Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/26 "2012-06-13T19:05:53Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/27 "2012-06-13T19:06:08Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/28 "2012-06-13T19:07:27Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Yeah, but where did the other 2 dollars go? The bellhop kept it. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/29 "2012-06-13T19:09:27Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > yeah, but where did the other 2 dollars go? i want my two dollars!!! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/30 "2012-06-14T01:34:07Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > .5 [Verizon math](http://verizonmath.blogspot.com/2006/12/verizon-doesnt-know-dollars-from-cents.html)! ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/31 "2012-06-14T01:37:50Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/32 "2012-06-14T04:20:09Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/33 "2012-06-14T04:44:53Z")
42 Because that is the answer to any math question. It gives me time to think about a better answer. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/34 "2012-06-14T04:54:56Z")
> [@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\*\*.\*\* **H** ow much is the soda? Answer: $0.10 ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/35 "2012-06-14T08:44:13Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/36 "2012-06-14T10:14:23Z")
I got it wrong as well. I take it you got it from [here](http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/frontal-cortex/2012/06/daniel-kahneman-bias-studies.html) **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.” ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/37 "2012-06-14T11:25:59Z")
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.[sup]\*[/sup] * * * [sup]\*[/sup] 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. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/38 "2012-06-14T12:08:04Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > [sup]\*[/sup] 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. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/39 "2012-06-14T12:12:55Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > High school algebra. I’ll take it slow for the math-impaired. FYI: invoking high school algebra doesn’t really help clear anything up for the math-impaired. In fact, it usually has the opposite effect. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040/40 "2012-06-14T12:15:16Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > FYI: invoking high school algebra doesn’t really help clear anything up for the math-impaired. In fact, it usually has the opposite effect. 😉 Math-“challenged”? Math-“What’s math?”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answer-this-quickly-and-hopefully-correctly/625040.md?page=3)