Brain Teaser - A gang of 17 thieves steals a bag of gold coins

[benbo]

OK then... let's find an x that works:240 / 14 = 14 R2

480 / 14 = 28 R4

720 / 14 = 42 R6

960 / 14 = 56 R8

1200 / 14 = 70 R10

1440 / 14 = 84 R12

1680 / 14 = 98 R14

1920 / 14 = 112 R16

2160 / 14 = 127 R1 (126 R18)

2400 / 14 = 141 R3 (140 R20) <---- this is the one!

Why are you dividing by 14? Don't you mean 17?

Anyway, good explanation.

 

[Flyer_PE]

for the West Virginians that's "or in words we're taught in 8th grade 17 gozzinta n...."

Hey! I resemble that remark!

Actually, the math problems started out with: "How many gallons of 'shine will Pappy have to sell ..........."

 

[IlPadrino]

Why are you dividing by 14? Don't you mean 17?Anyway, good explanation.

Yup... I fixed it.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Actually, the math problems started out with: "How many gallons of 'shine will Pappy have to sell ..........."

Or, "Cooter's pump shotgun holds five shells..."

 

[dastuff]

Yup... I fixed it.

Sweet Chinese Answer! They must have had huge sacks back then!

 

[Sschell]

some of us still do...

 

[benbo]

Yup... I fixed it.

I would have thought the first person to throw down the "Chinese Remainder Theorem" would have been JR.

 

[Guest]

I would have thought the first person to throw down the "Chinese Remainder Theorem" would have been JR.

Unfortunately, I cannot jump in as quickly or as often as I used to with the new job.

I am still developing algebraically whacked algorithms though!

JR

 

[1SmartEngineer]

Thank you guys for passionately participating in my ice breaker. - 3930 is the correct answer.

I am Ken. A recently laid off engineer.

Glad to be here.

 

[Sschell]

Sorry to hear that you got laid off ken. is your website a hobby or a potential source of income? (if that is not too personal of a question)

 

[MA_PE]

OK ken. Time to post challenge No. 2

 

[EM_PS]

OK ken. Time to post challenge No. 2

^ I think he's got tons of them at his website. . .(http://www.engineeringdaily.net/) no sense making him do double duty - good luck Ken, btw

Here's some mathematical skullduggery for you:

2 = 1 how's this you say?

Let x=y

then x2=xy

and x2-y2=xy-y2

thus, (x+y)(x-y)=y(x-y)

so that (x+y)=y

therefore, x+x=x

and 2x=x

thus 2=1

[edit] sorry, forgot to include that this problem cannot be - why?

 

[Sschell]

well... by that same logic:

x=y

1*(x-y)=1,000,000,000*(x-y)

thus 1=1,000,000,000...

which is much more dramatic.

 

[EM_PS]

well... by that same logic:
x=y

1*(x-y)=1,000,000,000*(x-y)

thus 1=1,000,000,000...

which is much more dramatic.

you're simply saying 0=0, but you're on to it. . .

 

[IlPadrino]

..

.

thus, (x+y)(x-y)=y(x-y)

so that (x+y)=y

.

.

.

Only if you're willing to say 0/0 = 1

 

[EM_PS]

short lived teaser, esp w/ Sraymond around -

thus, (x+y)(x-y)=y(x-y)so that (x+y)=y

algaebraically, this is permissible. . . EXCEPT division by zero is not

so this expression (x+y)(x-y)=y(x-y) cannot have the (x-y) terms cancel

ok, next teaser. . .

 

[Capt Worley PE]

 

[Sschell]

:appl: :appl: :appl:

 

[IlPadrino]

How about this one... though maybe we've written about it before.

Suppose you're on a game show, and you're given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a car; behind the others, goats. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, who knows what's behind the doors, opens another door, say No. 3, which has a goat. He then says to you, "Do you want to pick door No. 2?" Is it to your advantage to switch your choice?

In other words, what are your odds of winning if you switch your choice?

 

[Sschell]

^oh yeah... I remember that one... The answer really pissed me off, although I now believe it.