I've discovered Im a bit thick

faceman

One of those email thingies did the rounds today in the office with a maths riddle. To antagonise the reader, it said it was a "5th grade" exam question. I presume thats american for primary school kids are asked this in school (which i doubt!)

Anyway it took me a while to figure it out. I thought I was bleedin Stephen Hawkings! however a couple of punters in the office worked out the riddle in only a few minutes. One of them didnt even use a calculator. one of them was a wimmenz.

Now i feel like a thicko. I wouldnt mind but finance is my expertise!

I have really low self esteem as a result. In fact my self esteem is so low, that i fantasise that im someone else when im getting the roide.

So i need suggestions on what i can do get make myself clevererer than the people in the office.

Ron DMC

Post the riddle. I'm bored here and could do with a thirty second distraction.

TwoShedsJackson

What was the question so we can all laugh at how thick you are?

taidghbaby

kill them all!

Pepe LeFrits

What? No riddle?

Forget you clown.

faceman

here is the riddle. There was a file attached to the email and the answer of the riddle is the password for the file. Posting it is only going to get you people solving it quicker than me thus making me feel worse.

> Heres a little problem for you all......
>
> Are you smarter than a 5th grader?
>
> The challenge is on - can you open the spreadsheet?
>
> This is a real 5th grade math problem. If you can open the
> spreadsheet, you'll see that only a small list of people (older than
> 5th
> graders) have gotten the correct answer. 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
> spreadsheet. If you open it, add your name to the list and send it on
> to
> see who else can unlock it.

kaimera

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

What? No riddle?

Forget you clown.

pfft, look at you acting all 'street' -.-

kmick

Buy a hat and some galoshes. When people ask you questions like "Marcus - what is 102930 and 5633969 divided by x to the power of 3248" nod sagely and say things like "there are two answers to this question sir, and I know neither of them, however I can show you how to do the Dutch Tango."

They wont ask again and you will be perceived as eccentric but brilliant.

TheCaveman

268 ? or am i dumb?

Ron DMC

11172?

Cathmandooo

10,990 or
10,992 including the bus drivers legs?

I never understand if each girl has 7 backpacks each or one each

Dragan

My question is why the crap are girls walking around with 7 bags, each stuffed with cats?

PlayGirl

238 ? Definitely wrong

Wait - 406 ? No ?

chopperbyrne

Cathooo wrote: »

10,990 or
10,992 including the bus drivers legs?

I never understand if each girl has 7 backpacks each or one each

Was about to ask if one of the girls was the driver.

One of these is correct anyway.

reregholdsworth

remember kids,

always include your workings.
partial credit for correct steps along the way.

that way you avoid the failcatlolpics being thrown your way.

kaimera

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Was about to ask if one of the girls was the driver.

One of these is correct anyway.

ha! good man chopper, jump more onto the bandwagon why doncha

Ron DMC

Can I change my answer to 11186?

chopperbyrne

reregholdsworth wrote: »

remember kids,

always include your workings.
partial credit for correct steps along the way.

that way you avoid the failcatlolpics being thrown your way.

Okay then!

username123

ok - 7 (girls) * 2 (legs per girl) - so thats 14

each girl has 7 backpacks, each backpack there are 7 big cats:

so 7 (girls) * 7 (backpacks) * 7 (big cats) * 4 (legs per cat) = 1372

for each big cat there are 7 little cats so:

so 7 (girls) * 7 (backpacks) * 7 (big cats) * 7 (little cats) * 4 (legs per cat) = 9604

so
9604 + 1372 + 14 + 2 (the bus drivers legs)
=
10992

or without the bus drivers legs its 10990

fullstop

Cathooo wrote: »

10,990 or
10,992 including the bus drivers legs?

I never understand if each girl has 7 backpacks each or one each

Thats what i got too

jetski

hay could you send that to my email ?

Ebonyellie

2401 - i hate maths

TheCaveman

OP, so what is the awnser?

Ron DMC

7 girls x 7 backpacks = 49 backpacks

49 backpacks with 7 big cats in each = 343 big cats

7 little cats per big cat is 7 x 343 = 2401 little cats

2401 little cats + 343 big cats = 2744

Each cat has 4 legs. 2744 x 4 = 10976

+ 14 legs for the girls = 10990


How come I got a different answer twice before? Probably should've written it out before.

mp3guy

7 girls - 14 legs
49 backpacks
343 big cats - 1372 legs
2401 little cats - 9604 legs

10990 or 1386 (It is not stated that the little cats are on the bus or in the bags).

TheCaveman

I hate these type of questions where you have to assume things, like with that many cats, how do you know they all have 4 legs, and one of them done have 3? and what about the bus driver? if it was a long journey, there could have been 2 drivers

Cathmandooo

TheCaveman wrote: »

I hate these type of questions where you have to assume things, like with that many cats, how do you know they all have 4 legs, and one of them done have 3? and what about the bus driver? if it was a long journey, there could have been 2 drivers

And what about the supervisors for the kids?

Damomayo

mp3guy wrote: »

7 girls - 14 legs
49 backpacks
343 big cats - 1372 legs
2401 little cats - 9604 legs

10990 or 1386 (It is not stated that the little cats are on the bus or in the bags).

yeah ans is 10990 .......... got that email awhile ago

Pepe LeFrits

Technically, the riddle doesn't say the little cats are on the bus, nor does it say that the backpacks are on the bus.

Also, how many seats are there in the bus? Seats have legs.

Cathmandooo

Damomayo wrote: »

yeah ans is 10990 .......... got that email awhile ago

Yaaaaaay do I win a prize?

Sherifu

It's not one of those 'The bus has no legs' ones is it?

Damomayo wrote: »

yeah ans is 10990 .......... got that email awhile ago

Yes, calc says yes.

(7*7*7*8*4)+(7*2)

BennyLava

7 girls = 14

1 kitten = 4
x 7 kittens = 28
+ 1 cat = 32
x 7 cats (per bag) = 224
x 7 bags = 1568
+ 7 girls = 1582

answer = 1582

Chunks

I got 79,933 legs (not including the driver)

which doesnt even divide by 2... so there's a one legged girl runnig around out there

Earthhorse

What's a 5th grader?

ScumLord

Buses don't have legs, 0?

zAbbo

It's a variation on the old 'no legs on a bus' question.

And as It's not a trick question, don't include the driver, or suspect that possibly one of the girls was landmine victim etc. - it's pure calculations

Girls and their legs= 7x2 = 14
Big cats and their legs= 7^3 (7x7x7) x 4 (4 legged cats) - 1372
Kittens= 7^4 (7x7x7x7) x 4 (4 legged kittens) - 9604

14 + 1372 + 9604 = 10,990

What do I win?

The girls are actually transporting mescaline across the border, which is hidden inside the cats, which leads to the real question.

If each girl has 10,000 x 500mg pills of mescaline, what is the maximum amount of uncut heroin they can bargain for from South East? Asia.

MIN2511

Ronny Mitchell wrote: »

7 girls x 7 backpacks = 49 backpacks

49 backpacks with 7 big cats in each = 343 big cats

7 little cats per big cat is 7 x 343 = 2401 little cats

2401 little cats + 343 big cats = 2744

Each cat has 4 legs. 2744 x 4 = 10976

+ 14 legs for the girls = 10990


How come I got a different answer twice before? Probably should've written it out before.

The part i lost it was not adding the 343 big cats

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Fremen

Myself and mathsmaniac tackled this one fairly comprehensively in the maths forum. It's pretty much impossible to give a decisive answer without more information.

Link:
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055188506

Reku

But you're all forgetting one thing!
That many cats on a bus you can bet Abigayle is lurking somewhere on the bus too! So add +2 to your answers.

BennyLava

forgot to multiple the bags by 7

answer 10990

d'oh

Ebonyellie

No OP you are not thick

Fremen

Ebonyellie wrote: »

No OP you are not thick

Pff. Yes he is. :pac:

javaboy

With that many cats and children on a bus there are almost certainly a few fleas and ticks.

With that in mind my answer is 3,245,676.

Keano

I know I is thick. Tried in vain to figure it out but had to Google the answer. Sad.

boardinwork

faceman wrote: »

here is the riddle. There was a file attached to the email and the answer of the riddle is the password for the file. Posting it is only going to get you people solving it quicker than me thus making me feel worse.

> Heres a little problem for you all......
>
> Are you smarter than a 5th grader?
>
> The challenge is on - can you open the spreadsheet?
>
> This is a real 5th grade math problem. If you can open the
> spreadsheet, you'll see that only a small list of people (older than
> 5th
> graders) have gotten the correct answer. 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
> spreadsheet. If you open it, add your name to the list and send it on
> to
> see who else can unlock it.

80?

Canis Lupus

I like cats.

Davidius

New information:
Cats is a codeword for 'nothing'.
None of the girls have legs.

skywalker

14. It didnt say anything about the cats being on the bus, just the girls.

FunkZ

That just broke my brain, haven't done Maths of any sort really in a year

Quality

Is there seats on the bus? And do those seats have legs?

faceman

While im very impressed at all of your mathematical skills, it further reinforces my thickness.