Simple math problem.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

See if you can get the answer.

Please keep your scroll bar right here, though…as in, don’t scroll down and read anyone’s reply yet. See if you can do it yourself.
Also, don’t use a calculator or Pen/Pencil and paper. It’s easy enough to do in your head.

You start out with 1000.

Add 40.

Add another 1000.

Add 30.

Add another 1000

Add 20.

Add another 1000.

And finally, you add 10.
What number did you get? Reply first by hitting the submit reply at the TOP of this thread,…THEN read your fellow doper’s replies and comments.

2

4100

3

4100

4

4100

5
  1. I will admit, I almost got tricked.

(hasn’t read responses yet)

6

4100

7

I got 4100… what’s the trick?

8

I got did the mistake not once but twice before. :smack:

9

A lot of people get 5000 if they do it all in their head.

10

I get 4100.

11

It’s more effective if done verbally. You can see four 1000s on the screen, and no other big numbers, so it is painfully obvious it will be just over 4000. When you do the same thing out loud, more people will make the mistake intended by this riddle.

One way to simulate this effect might be with spoilers:

You start out with 1000.[/spoiler]Add 40.Add another 1000.Add 30.Add another 1000Add 20.Add another 1000.[spoiler]And finally, you add 10.

But GODDAMN that’s ugly and annoying on the eyes.

12

Initially I went 5000. But then I thought, come on there must be something up here. Thought you may be “adding another” to a seperate column as it were. Got 4000 vs 100. That’s when I saw my mistake. Very nice illustration Idle

13

I think it only works well verbally. The fact I could see the numbers alllowed me to quickly add the 4 1000’s and then the small numbers.

If read out loud to someone the chance of getting the 5000 answer is much higher.

14

I came up with 4100.

15

I fell for it. It took me a while to figure out what I did wrong.

16

4100

17

All right, I’m stupid, I keep getting 5000. stalks off, :o

18

Idle Thoughts, what is the correct answer?

19

I fell for it too. I even fell for it after I knew the right answer. Pretty good trick for the dense.

20

<crosses fingers>

4100? I think the hook here might be that 4090 + 10 will trick people into answering 5000.

<crosses toes, hits reply>