Where did the dollar go?

[Bill Wyko]

3 people go to a hotel. They pay 10 dollars each to stay for a total of 30 dollars. They go to the room when the manager realizes he overcharged them by 5 dollars. He tells the bell boy to take 5 dollars to their room. The bell boy tells himself "they can't split 5 bucks so I'll pocket 2 and give them 3". Now the 3 people have paid 9 bucks each and the bell boy pocketed 2. 3 people X 9 bucks =27 + 2 bucks in the bell boys pocket = 29 dollars. What happened to the last dollar? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Get back to me on this would ya.

 

[mhch]

Another twist to it

  The 3 folks spent  27 + 2  = 29

  The owner incomes is        25
  The boy got an income of    2       

  difference                                2, where did they go

  Bottom line:  Cant twist accounts in many ways,

 

[mhch]

And now some correct accounting

Guest expenses:        27

Owner income  :          25
Boy income      :            2

So the balance is correct.

Accountants don't sum up an expense here and an income there !!

PS: I'm not an accountant   

 

[Bill Wyko]

I need to see it add up to 30 now.

 

[mhch]

Why is 30 needed ?

The right way is to make a series a transactions in parallel for 3 separate accounts
  The balance being zero across all of them, on every line

 

[mhch]

guests spent 30:  Guest:  -30              owner:  30                  boy: 0
owner spents 5:  Guest: -30              owner:  25                  boy: 5
boy spents    3:  Guest:  -27              owner:  25                    boy: 2

 

[Bill Wyko]

In this case. The way it is said is what brings the question. Not the math. You'd be supprized how many people will ponder this for hours. ??? ;D

 

[mhch]

I know !!  I even spent 5 minutes about it, then I stopped wandering and went
back to a rational analysis !!!

 

[mhch]

The way it is said is what brings the question. Not the math.  ;D

That's why accountants don't speak. They write numbers instead.

They are also a bit boring 

 

[mhch]

The raiders of the lost figure .... better search the decimal approximation of the 1/3 fraction 

Take care of the pennies, the pounds witll take care of themselves, Brits say

 

[bruegf]

The guests never really spent $30.  Their actual cash outlay was (10 -1) * 3 = 27.    The hotel received 25.  The bell boy skimmed 2. 

27 = 25 + 2.

Where's the problem?

Fred