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Frisco

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Sep 24, 2002
2,475
69
Utopia
Just for fun, not for class. I can't get it.

Good luck with this and have fun! This is a 5th grade math problem.
If you can't stand word math problems, just delete now. If you can open the
spreadsheet, you'll see it's a very small list of people who have gotten
the correct number. This is not a trick question. This is a real math
problem so don't say that a bus has no legs.


There are 7 girls in a bus

Each girl has 7 backpacks

In each backpack, there are 7 big cats

For every big cat there are 7 little cats

Question: How many legs are there in the bus?


The number of legs is the password to unlock the Excel sheet. (Do not have to spell out #)
If you open it.

Spreadsheet
 

mactastic1971

macrumors regular
Jan 9, 2008
135
1
Bay Area, CA
Answer this question honestly...

If you were a spammer, and somebody asked you if you were a spammer would you reply, "no I am not a spammer" ?
 

Frisco

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Sep 24, 2002
2,475
69
Utopia
Answer this question honestly...

If you were a spammer, and somebody asked you if you were a spammer would you reply, "no I am not a spammer" ?

I have been a member since 2002 and just start spamming now? Answer the question or move on :rolleyes:
 

EricNau

Moderator emeritus
Apr 27, 2005
10,725
267
San Francisco, CA
I got 9604.

7 girls x 7 backpacks x 7 big cats = 343 big cats x 7 little cats = 2401

2401 x 4 legs each = 9604

...but it's wrong. :confused:

EDIT: forgot the girls. 2401 + 7 = 2408 x 4 = 9632 ...but that's wrong too! :D
 

swiftaw

macrumors 603
Jan 31, 2005
6,328
25
Omaha, NE, USA
The answer is 10990

7 girls * 2 legs each = 14 legs

7 backpacks per girl = 49 backpacks
7 large cats per backpack = 343 large cats = 1372 legs on the large cats

7 small cats per large cat = 2401 small cats = 9604 legs in the small cats.

Total legs = 9604+1372+14 = 10990
 
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Frisco

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Sep 24, 2002
2,475
69
Utopia
The answer is 10990

7 girls * 2 legs each = 14 legs

7 backpacks per girl = 49 backpacks
7 large cats per backpack = 343 large cats = 1372 legs on the large cats

7 small cats per large cat = 2401 small cats = 9604 legs in the small cats.

Total legs = 9604+1372+14 = 10990

Thank you so much!!! I would have never gotten it.

ps: No spam here
 

dobbin

macrumors 6502a
Jan 28, 2002
587
5
England
I don't see why this is at all hard. It seems very simple to me.

7 girls --> 14 legs
7x7 = 49 backpacks
49x7 = 343 big cats --> 1372 legs
343x7 = 2401 little cats --> 9604 legs
14+1372+9604 = 10990 legs in total
 

Frisco

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Sep 24, 2002
2,475
69
Utopia
I don't see why this is at all hard. It seems very simple to me.

7 girls --> 14 legs
7x7 = 49 backpacks
49x7 = 343 big cats --> 1372 legs
343x7 = 2401 little cats --> 9604 legs
14+1372+9604 = 10990 legs in total

Well it was very hard for me. I was never good at math.

ps: I was multiplying in the wrong order: Big cats--little cats really confused me.
 

Doctor Q

Administrator
Staff member
Sep 19, 2002
39,777
7,498
Los Angeles
That puzzle sounds like yet another variation on this classic, thought to have originated in 1650 BC!

How 'bout this puzzle? -

A bookshelf has three encyclopedia volumes: A-I, J-R, and S-Z. They are in the usual order, left to right on the shelf. The covers are 1/16" thick. Each book has pages numbered 1 to 1000. Each sheet of paper is 1/250 of an inch thick.

If a bookworm chews its way from page 1 of the A-I volume through page 1000 of the S-Z volume, how far did it travel?

(You may decide whether or not the bookworm ate the starting page and the ending page; use whichever assumption makes your computation easier.)
 

swiftaw

macrumors 603
Jan 31, 2005
6,328
25
Omaha, NE, USA
That puzzle sounds like yet another variation on this classic, thought to have originated in 1650 BC!

How 'bout this puzzle? -

A bookshelf has three encyclopedia volumes: A-I, J-R, and S-Z. They are in the usual order, left to right on the shelf. The covers are 1/16" thick. Each book has pages numbered 1 to 1000. Each sheet of paper is 1/250 of an inch thick.

If a bookworm chews its way from page 1 of the A-I volume through page 1000 of the S-Z volume, how far did it travel?

(You may decide whether or not the bookworm ate the starting page and the ending page; use whichever assumption makes your computation easier.)

6.25 inches
 

monke

macrumors 65816
May 30, 2005
1,437
3
6.25 inches

Agreed.

1000 pages = 500 sheets. 1 page on one side, 1 page on the other.
The worm chews through 500 sheets in the A-I book, then the cover.
It then chews through the J-R front cover, 500 sheets, and the back cover.
Then the S-Z cover, 500 sheets, and it stops dead.
 
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