# so what is the correct answer **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 21, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560 "2013-03-21T19:08:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/21 "2013-03-21T20:40:20Z")
I, too, am wowed by NeonMadman’s response. I went with the sum doubled thing. ---
**Author:** ![obifema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b38774/32.png) [@obifema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obifema)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/22 "2013-03-21T20:49:20Z")
Ans’ 60. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/23 "2013-03-21T21:04:09Z")
> [@dataguy](#): > > You’re right! I had the right method but the wrong answer. > 132 it is. Isn’t there also no 4 in base 4? ie 0, 1, 2, 3? Base 2 is just 0, 1 - right? ---
**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:** [March 21, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/24 "2013-03-21T21:16:26Z")
> [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](#): > > Isn’t there also no 4 in base 4? ie 0, 1, 2, 3? Base 2 is just 0, 1 - right? That’s correct. When you look at a base X number, each place value equals that number with a given exponent, starting with an exponent of 0 in the right-most position and rising by one for each move to the left. The available digits equal 0, 1, 2, … X-1. So base 4 is like this: …4^3 4^2 4^1 4^0 A number like 1323 equals 1\*(4^3) + 3\*(4^2) + 2\*(4^1) + 3\*(4^0). In base 10, that’s 64+48+8+3, or 123 (unless I’m doing my math wrong). ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/25 "2013-03-21T21:36:31Z")
60 is my guess ---
**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:** [March 21, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/26 "2013-03-21T21:43:01Z")
> [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](#): > > Isn’t there also no 4 in base 4? ie 0, 1, 2, 3? Base 2 is just 0, 1 - right? I kinda sorta noticed that too. It’s kinda-sorta-base-4 but not-quite-base-4 funky-weirdo-goofy. Upon realizing this, I totally and instantly lost interest in the “puzzle” and didn’t try to figure it out further. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/27 "2013-03-21T21:45:36Z")
I got 60. It seemed pretty obvious from the math that we are looking at weeks and days. 1 week + 5 days = 12 days 2 weeks + 10 days = 24 days etc ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/28 "2013-03-21T22:05:56Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I got 60. It seemed pretty obvious from the math that we are looking at weeks and days. > > 1 week + 5 days = 12 days > > 2 weeks + 10 days = 24 days > > etc It’s interesting for me to see the different ways people came up with the answer of 60. At least the multiple ways of looking at this problem yield the same answer. if it were 5+23, we’d have at least two different answers depending on the method we used to get it. Using yours, it’d be 58. Using **LHoD** ’s, it’d be 56. Both perfectly logical. ---
**Author:** ![dataguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eada6e/32.png) [@dataguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dataguy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/29 "2013-03-21T22:09:05Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I kinda sorta noticed that too. It’s kinda-sorta-base-4 but not-quite-base-4 funky-weirdo-goofy. Upon realizing this, I totally and instantly lost interest in the “puzzle” and didn’t try to figure it out further. Yeah. I jumped the gun on this one. It seemed like something mod 4-ish, but not consistently enough to be base4 numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/30 "2013-03-21T22:36:24Z")
> [@NeonMadman](#): > > Probably 60, on the basis that the initial number in each equation is talking about sevens. > > One seven + 5 = 12 > > 2 sevens + 10 = 24 > > 3 sevens + 15 = 36 > > then > > 5 sevens + 25 = 60 > > Why you should assume that these numbers refer to multiples of 7 is beyond me, Maybe this is why: > [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I got 60. It seemed pretty obvious from the math that we are looking at weeks and days. > > 1 week + 5 days = 12 days > > 2 weeks + 10 days = 24 days > > etc ---
**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:** [March 22, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/31 "2013-03-22T00:17:06Z")
> [@panaccione](#): > > It’s definitely 30. > > It’s a lesson in obedience. We all know the first three equations are incorrect on their face value but are supposed to accept them just cause. Right. If it was a series (an “if. . .then” puzzle), then 60 would be correct. No “if” in front of the series of equations just makes 5+25 an independent equation. ---
**Author:** ![chowching](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@chowching](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowching)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/32 "2013-03-22T01:30:46Z")
1. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/33 "2013-03-22T03:19:14Z")
I’m not reading the other responses. The answer is 60. Each answer is twice what the “real” answer should be. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/34 "2013-03-22T07:56:04Z")
The answer is 60. To me, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/35 "2013-03-22T08:02:23Z")
Without reading the thread-60? ---
**Author:** ![Danja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@Danja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danja)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/36 "2013-03-22T08:04:17Z")
I don’t see the problem with remapping the “+” operator into “(+)\*2”. You can give an operator whatever notation you want, so long as it’s internally consistent with the rules of your space. In this instance, the creator of the puzzle chose the plus sign. It could have been 1 (.)(.) 5, and the logic would be no different. Did you guys get mad in middle school when homework 1 had x as the side of a square while homework 2 has x as the hypotenuse of a right triangle? ---
**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:** [March 22, 2013, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/37 "2013-03-22T08:51:12Z")
It’s a pattern, pure and simple. They should’ve left out the mathematical notation, and just stuck the numbers in a grid, leaving an empty square. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/38 "2013-03-22T09:02:18Z")
if you’re intuitive, the answer is 60. if you’re second-guessing yourself, 60 is too obvious an answer. if you’re a stickler for rules, the answer is 30. if you’re a smart-ass, the answer is a logically consistent alternative. if you’re a skeptic, you know better than to waste time on a “14 k of g in a f p d” question with either a lame answer or none at all. this question reminds me of another nonsensical puzzle: if 1=5, 2=10, 3=15, then 5=? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/39 "2013-03-22T13:27:40Z")
> [@Danja](#): > > Did you guys get mad in middle school when homework 1 had x as the side of a square while homework 2 has x as the hypotenuse of a right triangle? Well, that’s not a good analogy. “X” is a variable, and can change from problem to problem. That’s expected. “+” is an arithmetical operator that indicates addition or a positive value. (There may be other meanings that I’m forgetting, but those are the main ones.) When one sees “+” in a mathematical equation, there is an expectation of what it means, otherwise, math breaks down. “X” is defined to represent any unknown quantity, so there’s no expectation for an “x” in one problem to mean/represents the same thing an “x” in another problem means/represents. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560/40 "2013-03-22T13:31:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s interesting for me to see the different ways people came up with the answer of 60. No kidding! We should do one on skinning cats. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-correct-answer/653560.md?page=3)