Brain Teaser

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 54626
  • Start date Start date
D for dummy.
 
ifiddles said:
$100...70 worth of merch and 30 for the change...I laughed at the title of the thread, because I start every math class with word problems that I like to call "brain teasers"...🤗
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Interesting....Agreed on the 100 but my thought process leading to that amount is totally different and I don't consider the loss of the merch in the equation.
 
Based on the available choices in the multiple choice question, the merchant’s loss is $70.

He did not lose the profit margin on the $70 sale.
 
I say 100 because:
He lost 100 when the guy stole the money. Its irrelevant whether the thief gave him back his $100 bill or produced another bill he already had on him. So the owner lost 100 .....if he made a profit on the merch then I suppose that could be deducted from his loss.
 
You have to use process of elimination based on the available answers.

A. $30. No, he lost $30 returned to the crook in cash + the cost of goods for the items the crook purchased.
B. $70. Yes, he lost $30 returned to the crook in cash + the cost of goods for the items the crook which is more than $30 and less than $100. Since this is the only choice in the range it has to be correct. The only caveat is if the item sold costs the erchant more than he sold it for.
C. $100. No, the merchant lost $100 from the till less his profit margin on the sale.


Lets use a real example.

a. Crook plucks $100 from the till.
b. Crock purchases a pair of gloves for $70. The merchant paid $40 for the gloves and marked them up by $30.
c. Crook gives the $100 back to the merchant, merchant gives him $30 in cash (change), keeps the $70 in the till (merchant down $30), and $40 goes to replace the gloves.

So merchant loss is the $30 cash + $40 cost of goods on gloves. Merchant still has $30 in the till.
 
CMON
What does the merchant have at the beginning, that he doesn't have at the end?
The $100 bill
The $30 change
The $70 in goods
Total - $200
 
Merchant starts the day will $130 cash in the till and $70 of lottery tickets, nothing else (he's going out of business??). $200 total

Thief steels $100
Merchant now has $30 cash and $70 of lottery tickets. $100 total
Thief buys the $70 of lottery tickets, pays with $100. Merchant gives him $30 change.
Merchant now has $100 cash, no lottery tickets. $100 total.

Merchant started with $200, now has $100.

Loss = $100

EDIT. add simple math equation

200-100-70+100-30=100

If you want to get into profit/loss...he may have stolen the lottery tickets and the $70 iis clear profit so he is only out $30. He may have spent $100 on the lottery tickets but only sold them for $70 so he is out an extra $30. etc etc etc

KISS
 
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hdsomeday said:
Merchant starts the day will $130 cash in the till and $70 of lottery tickets, nothing else (he's going out of business??). $200 total

Thief steels $100
Merchant now has $30 cash and $70 of lottery tickets. $100 total
Thief buys the $70 of lottery tickets, pays with $100. Merchant gives him $30 change.
Merchant now has $100 cash, no lottery tickets. $100 total.

Merchant started with $200, now has $100.

Loss = $100


or.......

200-100-70+100-30=100
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I agree with you or Mike. Both have supportable logic.
 
The riddle is flawed because it does not tell you whether to include the initial cost (to the shop owner) of the merchandise in your calculation of "money lost". I interpreted it as the cost of the merch isn't meant to be included.
 
Freddy Fudpucker said:
The riddle is flawed because it does not tell you whether to include the initial cost (to the shop owner) of the merchandise in your calculation of "money lost". I interpreted it as the cost of the merch isn't meant to be included.
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I did the same because its not possible to know the initial cost.
You could also interpret the word 'money' to mean 'cash' in which case he only lost $30. 😵‍💫

Its not flawed. We are over thinking it.
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