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Arithmetic & Algebraic Problems - pt-1

1. A man cashed a check at the bank and received twice the amount of the check due to a mistake by the cashier. He spent a nickel on the way home. What was the amount of the original check? 2. A man spent half his money at a store. After leaving, he had the same number of cents as dollars when he entered, and half as many dollars as cents when he entered. How much money did he have to start? 3. What is the largest sum of money in coins (excluding silver dollars) that could not be used to give change for common coins like dollars, quarters, dimes, and nickels?

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99 views

Arithmetic & Algebraic Problems - pt-1

1. A man cashed a check at the bank and received twice the amount of the check due to a mistake by the cashier. He spent a nickel on the way home. What was the amount of the original check? 2. A man spent half his money at a store. After leaving, he had the same number of cents as dollars when he entered, and half as many dollars as cents when he entered. How much money did he have to start? 3. What is the largest sum of money in coins (excluding silver dollars) that could not be used to give change for common coins like dollars, quarters, dimes, and nickels?

Uploaded by

SJ
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Arithmetic & Algebraic Problems

1. CONCERNING A CHECK

A man went into a bank to cash a check. In handing over the money the
cashier, by mistake, gave him dollars for cents and cents for dollars. He
pocketed the money without examining it, and spent a nickel on his way home.
He then found that he possessed exactly twice the amount of the check. He
had no money in his pocket before going to the bank. What was the exact
amount of that check?

2. DOLLARS AND CENTS

A man entered a store and spent one-half ofthe money that was in his pocket.
When he came out he found that he had just as many cents as he had dollars
when he went in and half as many dollars as he had cents when he went in.
How much money did he have on him when he entered?

3. LOOSE CASH

What is the largest sum of money-all in current coins and no silver


dollars-that I could have in my pocket without being able to give change
for a dollar, half dollar, quarter, dime, or nickel?

4. GENEROUS GIFTS

A generous man set aside a certain sum of money for equal distribution
weekly to the needy of his acquaintance. One day he remarked, "If there are
five fewer applicants next week, you will each receive two dollars more." Un-
fortunately, instead of there being fewer there were actually four more per-
sons applying for the gift.
"This means," he pointed out, "that you will each receive one dollar less."
How much did each person receive at that last distribution?
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4 Arithmetic & Algebraic Problems

5. BUYING BUNS

Buns were being sold at three prices: one for a penny, two for a penny,
and three for a penny. Some children (there were as many boys as girls) were
given seven pennies to spend on these buns, each child to receive exactly the
same value in buns. Assuming that all buns remained whole, how many
buns, and of what types, did each child receive?

6. UNREWARDED LABOR

A man persuaded Weary Willie, with some difficulty, to try to work on a


job for thirty days at eight dollars a day, on the condition that he would for-
feit ten dollars a day for every day that he idled. At the end of the month
neither owed the other anything, which entirely convinced Willie of the folly
of labor. Can you tell just how many days' work he put in and on how many
days he idled?

7. THE PERPLEXED BANKER

A man went into a bank with a thousand dollars, all in dollar bills, and ten
bags. He said, "Place this money, please, in the bags in such a way that if I
call and ask for a certain number of dollars you can hand me over one
or more bags, giving me the exact amount called for without opening any of
the bags."
How was it to be done? We are, of course, only concerned with a single
application, but he may ask for any exact number of dollars from one to one
thousand.

8. A WEIRD GAME

Seven men engaged in play. Whenever a player won a game he doubled


the money of each of the other players. That is, he gave each player just as
much money as each had in his pocket. They played seven games and,
strange to say, each won a game in turn in the order of their names, which
began with the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
Money Puzzles 5

When they had finished it was found that each man had exactly $1.28 in his
pocket. How much had each man in his pocket before play?

9. DIGGING A DITCH

Here is a curious question that is more perplexing than it looks at first sight.
Abraham, an infirm old man, undertook to dig a ditch for two dollars. He
engaged Benjamin, an able-bodied fellow, to assist him and share the money
fairly according to their capacities. Abraham could dig as fast as Benjamin
could shovel out the dirt, and Benjamin could dig four times as fast as Abra-
ham could do the shoveling.
How should they divide the money? Of course, we must assume their rela-
tive abilities for work to be the same in digging or shoveling.

10. NAME THEIR WIVES

A man left a legacy of $1 ,000.00 to three relatives and their wives. The wives
received together $396.00. Jane received $10.00 more than Catherine, and
Mary received $10.00 more than Jane. John Smith was given just as much as
his wife, Henry Snooks got half as much again as his wife, and Tom Crowe
received twice as much as his wife. What was the Christian name of each man's
wife?

II. MARKET TRANSACTIONS

A farmer goes to market and buys a hundred animals at a total cost


of $1,000.00. The price of cows being $50.00 each, sheep $10.00 each,
and rabbits 50¢ each, how many of each kind does he buy? Most people will
solve this, if they succeed at all, by more or less laborious trial, but there are
several direct ways of getting the solution.

12. THE SEVEN APPLEWOMEN

Here is an old puzzle that people are frequently writing to me about.


Seven applewomen, possessing respectively 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, and 140
6 Arithmetic & Algebraic Problems

apples, went to market and sold all theu apples at the same price, and each
received the same sum of money. What was the price?

13. A LEGACY PUZZLE

A man left legacies to his three sons and to a hospital, amounting in all to
$1,320.00. If he had left the hospital legacy also to his first son, that son
would have received as much as the other two sons together. If he had left it
to his second son, he would have received twice as much as the other two sons
together. If he had left the hospital legacy to his third son, he would have re-
ceived then thrice as much as the first son and second son together. Find the
amount of each legacy.

14. PUZZLING LEGACIES

A man bequeathed a sum of money, a little less than $1,500.00, to be


divided as follows: The five children and the lawyer received such sums that
the square root of the eldest son's share, the second son's share divided
by two, the third son's share minus $2.00, the fourth son's share plus $2.00,
the daughter'S share multiplied by two, and the square of the lawyer's fee all
worked out at exactly the same sum of money. No dollars were divided, and
no money was left over after the division. What was the total amount
bequeathed?

15. DIVIDING THE LEGACY

A man left $100.00 to be divided between his two sons Alfred and
Benjamin. If one-third of Alfred's legacy be taken from one-fourth of Ben-
jamin's, the remainder would be $11.00. What was the amount of each
legacy?

16. A NEW PARTNER

Two partners named Smugg and Williamson have decided to take a Mr.
Rogers into partnership. Smugg has 116 times as much capital invested in the
business as Williamson, and Rogers has to pay down $2,500.00, which sum
shall be divided between Smugg and Williamson, so that the three partners
shall have an equal interest in the business. How shall the sum be divided?

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