Reasoning question "Lodging"
Three people went to stay for 30 yuan a night. The three people each paid 10 yuan and collected 30 yuan and gave it to the boss. Later, the boss said that today's discount was only 25 yuan, so he took out 5 yuan and ordered the waiter to return it to them. The waiter secretly hid 2 yuan, and then divided the remaining 3 yuan among the three people, each receiving 1 yuan. In this way, each person paid 10 yuan at the beginning, and now 1 yuan is returned, that is, 10-1=9. Each person only spent 9 yuan, three people each paid 9 yuan, 3*9=27 yuan + the 2 yuan hidden by the waiter = 29 yuan, where did the other one yuan go?
Replies (8)
This problem itself is not difficult; the strange result is caused by confused thinking. Each person actually paid 9 yuan (first each paid 10 yuan, then each got 1 yuan back), so the three people together actually paid 27 yuan. There is nothing wrong with that. The key issue is, please note, the 2 yuan that the waiter hid is already included in that 27 yuan. That is to say, out of these 27 yuan, 25 yuan was paid for the accommodation, and 2 yuan was hidden by the waiter. Therefore, adding 2 yuan to 27 yuan is a meaningless calculation; it makes no sense and is purely misleading, causing mental confusion. So, if you want to discuss the relationship between 27 yuan and 2 yuan, it is the relationship of 2 yuan being included in the 27 yuan. You could say 27 yuan minus 2 yuan is the accommodation cost, but in no case can you say 27 yuan plus 2 yuan. The 2 yuan is already included in the 27 yuan, so why add it again? If you want to calculate back to the original 30 yuan, it should be 27 yuan (actually paid by the three people) plus 3 yuan (returned to the three people), which is the original 30 yuan that was paid. Where is the question of 1 yuan missing?
After looking at it, simply put, they gave 25 for accommodation, now refunding 3, 2 was embezzled, 25 plus 2 plus 3 equals 30.
I have solved this problem N times. The first time I saw this problem was probably in the fourth grade of elementary school.
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