Capt Ayhab

Souri, you can't do it with 13

But, I can do it with 12 and it is very cute and requires quite a writing.  Do you want me to give you more time to try the 12. Because, if you think you can do it with 13, chances are that you can not do it with 12 either :-)

If you give up or get tired of the challenge let me know to write the answer.

Majid Agha

1) put 6 balls in each "kaffeh". Put aside the balls in the lighter kaffeh

2) Now, divide the 6 balls of the heavier kaffeh in two groups of 3 balls, each in one kaffeh. Put aside the balls in lighter kaffeh

3) Now you have only 3 balls. You remove one of them. You will put each of the 2 remaining balls in one kaffeh.

a) if the two kaffeh are balanced, then the remaining ball you had removed before is the heavies one

b) if the two kaffeh dose not balance, you will pick up the ball in the heavier kaffeh

PS: Same experience goes in reverse if we are looking for  the lightest ball

My way of confusion

the hotel keeper received $30
then gave $5 back
makes the room total cost $25
The guest decide to let the bell boy steal $2
So their costs is now increased to $27
Then the bell boy gives them $3
now their cost is reduced to $24
Total hotel cost $24
Each guest cost $8
what happened to the extra $4 lost?
$30-5=25+2=27
27-3=24
30-24=6-2=$4 unaccounted for :)

Agho Majid

Your riddle is a classic. I know the answer but I won't say it, I am gonna let others try.

Give my riddle a shot will you?

cheers

-YT

So Far.

loooooooool

Guys guys guys,,,,,,,, 

1. the problem is NOT flawed, I promise you that.

2. I have given enough hints for it to be solved very easily.

and the good news isssssssssssssssssssss[drum roll plzzzzzzzzzz]

There is ONE and only ONE correct answer so far. BUT I ain't telling which one.

-YT

one more hint: one once said, often answer to the most complex question is very simple. Try looking in the way question is structured instead of trying to prove that it is flawed .. ;-)

later dudes and dudets.....

Souri khaanoom

Nope, I'm not confused! there's only 12 of them!

Let's solve this "way too easy" one for now, I got more to come. 

Majid Agha

This is way too easy!! Giving the 3 times try.....

To add more difficulties, you could choose 13 balls to begin with. Are you sure you are not confused about the number of the balls?

I got one for all you quiz enthusiasts

First, this riddle in hand can go for ever, depending on from which side you look at it.

NOW, this one.......

You have 12 balls, all the same size and the same shape.

ONE out of 12 is different in weight, "either lighter OR heavier" 

You have a ballance scale "tarazoo do kaffe ee" and you get to use it (3) times only!

Now, find me the different one!

Put your solutions on paper before you make a comment.

PS. I'll be generous here, I'll give you 1 month to think about it 

Ok, am back again briefly.

I can't believe this is still carrying on.

Captain, the flaw in the assumption of the riddle - as I tried to point out in my very first response, is that it assumes that when each businessman gets $1 back their "contribution" would each be $9, so you multiply that by three and get $27.

However, my calculations demonstrate that if they are supposed to pay $25  ($8 1/3 each) together instead of $30 ($10 each) than each man's share would be $8 1/3 (for the rent of the room) + $1 refund from the Inneskeeper = $9 1/3 for each man and that multiplied by 3 equals $28 leaving $2 for the tip.

I really don't know in how many other ways I can explain this. :)

The ladies' solutions are correct, but is yours?

The responses the ladies provided are generally correct. Your claim that "look at it from the guests side, they paid $27 in total plus the $2 tip" is faulty. Even from your phrasing of the problem, all the guests know is that they ended up paying $27, they don't necessarily even know that the bellhop kept some of it. And what was spent by them equals what was earned by the hotel staff, $2+$25.

If you want to insist on your misleading wording of the problem, then you could get all kinds of results out of it. E.g., the guests ended up spending $27 w/ $2 ending up w/ the bellhop, which adds up to $29, but $25 also ended up w/ the front desk, so that's a total of $54. How did $30 turn into $54? That's the Ayhab logic!

Whatever "solution" you have in mind, if correct, must reduce to the simple solutions already given for this problem.

My try at it

Total they paid $28 therefore each man paid
$28/3=$9.3333.... and not $9.00 Now if you add up the numbers everything come out okay.

this is fun... more more more!

Cap'n...  i think the women are showing you up! 

they spent exactly $27 dollars. $25 for the room and $2 for the tip. Remember they got exactly $3 in total back.

Dear Captain

J

Azarin is correct and the confusion stems from the incorrect posing of the problem. There is no missing $1, that is the innkeeper has $30 dollars originally, write it as:

 30=25+3+2

then he returns 3 dollars, rearrange:

30-3=25+2

The fact that 3X9=27, has nothing to do with the above :-)

Example

1 + 3 = 3 + 1  !!!!!!!!!

-YT

Hint Hint Hint Hint ;-)

Order of Operation - Important concept in Math

Rather than trying to prove that problem is wrong[which is not] try looking at it from both sides:

1. Innkeeper

2. Guests

good luck ;-))

-YT

Azarin

[So adding 27 +2 is wrong.]

Even with your calculation, look at it from the guests side, they paid $27 in total plus the $2 tip.

When they return to HQ, that is how their expense report going to show, and the head accountant is going to ask for the missing buck

-YT

Do I really have to spell it out ALL the way to the end?

... if the room costs $25, and each man gets $1 back:

$25 + (3 x $1) = $28

$28 + $2 tip = $30

Satisfied?

I really have to get going now.

Princess 

It's easy!

$30 - ($1 x 3)= $27 what they have paid $9 each 

or in other words:

$25 ($room) + $2(tip) =$27 what they have paid ($9 each) which lefts $3 refund.

The error is in the presentation of the problem: The $2 tip is part of the $27 they have paid and not the $3 refund. So adding 27 +2 is wrong.

Azarin

nope

Mathematical rule:

Calculation MUST prove the same answer in both direction:

up to here [$27 - $25 = $2 Tip for bellhop] you are on track.

in another word you should be able to come back to original $30.

-YT

Canpt'n,

Just to humor you this once:

$10 - $1[refund each] = $9[final cost each]

$9 x 3 = $27

$27 - $25 = $2 Tip for bellhop 

Et Voilà!

Have a good weekend. :)

Aziyat nakon Princess jan

You crack me up[in a good way] ;-)

This is not a subjective problem. It is math which is an exact science. So really what I say does not count.

Answer lies in mathematical calculations and order of operation.

-YT

Capt'n, Capt'n, Capt'n,

You keep doing this! Once you have your mind set up to see something a certain way, you refuse to turn your head either to the right or to the left, lest you might see it from a slightly different perspective. :)

Using logic and mathematics, I have illustrated for you in two different ways why there is no $1 missing. And again you pick one and ignore the other.

My whole point is that the whole trick works because you insist on using whole numbers rather than decimals.

But nice try, my good man! :) 

Nice try Princess

You say[So the $1 was never there to disappear or in other words when he returns $1 to each, the calculation should be :

$8.333333333... + $1 = $ 9.3333333333333.... per person

$ 9.333333333.... x 3 = $28

and that's why he's left with only $2 for himself. ]

---------------------------------

here it is $10 - $1[refund each] = $9[final cost each]

$9 x 3 = $27 + $2[Tip for bellhop] = $29[final ttl cost] - $30[Org Pmt] = -$1[still missing] !!!

give it another shot. ;-)

Tip: try order of calculation and not decimal, use whole numbers !

-YT

That's why I usually don't trust other people's calculations. :)

$25 :3 = $ 8.333333333... the correct price per businessman

$10 - $8.3333= $1.777777777777... originally over-charged per person

$1.7777 - $1 = $0.77777777777... per person left for the bellboy after he returns 1 to each man.

and $0.7777777777777.... x 3 = $2 which is what he's got.

So the $1 was never there to disappear or in other words when he returns $1 to each, the calculation should be :

$8.333333333... + $1 = $ 9.3333333333333.... per person

$ 9.333333333.... x 3 = $28

and that's why he's left with only $2 for himself.