Random Idiot: That dog's barking kept me up all night.
Puddinhead Wilson: I wish I owned half that dog.
Random Idiot: Half a dog? Why would you ever want to own a half a dog?
Puddinhead Wilson: I'd kill my half.
Posted on 01/31/2018 10:42:17 PM PST by Morgana
FULL TITLE: Mother is left stumped by her seven-year-old daughter's maths homework question (but could YOU work it out?)
A mother was left scratching her head after trying to help her seven-year-old daughter with her maths homework.
Angie Werner was stumped when she tried answer the conundrum and turned to social media to help her out.
The problem asked how many entrants were in a dog show and while at first the answer appeared to be simple - in fact it left many parents completely miffed.
PROBLEM ON LINK
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Random Idiot: That dog's barking kept me up all night.
Puddinhead Wilson: I wish I owned half that dog.
Random Idiot: Half a dog? Why would you ever want to own a half a dog?
Puddinhead Wilson: I'd kill my half.
Thank God the dog show had no black dogs, or we'd be working out problems using 3/5 of a dog.
I wonder if there was a typo in the question and they meant to ask “how many large dogs”? Other wise the answer out of a total of 49 dogs would be “36” small dogs!
I’m glad I’ve still got enough smarts for 9th grade algebra. I’ve always been horrible at math, but self study with a calculus book and a little patience and training really helped me get over some of the rough spots I hated about math in high school.
Just 1/3 of the dog she used to be.
I would postulate that there were Z medium dogs, where Z is an odd number between 1 and 13. No dogs are harmed if this is done.
While this removes the need for a chainsaw, it is way beyond the age level of the assignment.
No need for the math. If you have 49 dogs total and 36 OF THOSE 49 DOGS ARE SMALL DOGS, THEN YOU HAVE 36 SMALL DOGS. The last 13 of those 49 in total dogs would be large dogs.
49 total dogs=36 small dogs + 13 large dogs.
I think it was a typo...I think the question meant to ask how many large dogs not how many small dogs. If it was small dogs, the problem become one of those “DUH” questions...like “who was buried in Reagan’s tomb” since the problem states how many small dogs(36) out of 49 total there were already.
But the question said there were 36 MORE small dogs than large dogs. If there are only 36 small dogs then there are 13 large dogs. 36-13 is only 23.
It’s middle-schoolers, so I’m afraid we’re gonna have to leave the chainsaw in. Sorry, Fluffy (RRRRRRRRR!)
I’m still waiting for the moment when I need this type of calculation in real life.
42 1/2 small dogs. I
Small dogs equals 6.5. Big dogs equals 42.5 . This is why nobody could get the right answer. Half a big dog and half a small dog does not make sense.
It’s a hot dog contest and someone got hungry before it started.
Maybe it was a cooking contest?
There are only 2 sets, large and small dogs. 49 is the total and there are 36 more small than large, with only 2 sets. 36 is one of the sets.
X+36=49
Take 36 from each side
X=13
There are 13 large dogs.
That’s the answer.
The other way implies
# of large dogs + (# of large dogs + # of small dogs) = total # of dogs
Additionally, since only addition is taking place, the parenthetical is irrelevant. If they say the answer is fractional dogs, it’s freakin wrong.
I do similar calculations all the time in real life. For example, I am designing a foundation for a tractor shed in my property. I have two types of steel reinforcing bar in the design, but not in equal numbers. I calculate the number of each and the total number.
And, when I want to divide the dollar values of different stock investments equally but the shares all have different prices, I do a very similar calculation.
Of course, if one can't do the first calculation at all, it may prevent acquiring investable assets, eliminating the need to do the second calculation...
They don’t do long arithmetic anymore
This is not mathematics technically
Few Americans do actual math
The creator of that problem is probably the financial consultant for their health care program.
“There are 49 dogs signed up to compete in the dog show. There are 36 more small dogs than large dogs signed up to compete. How many small dogs are signed up to compete?”
Let S be the number of small dogs, and L be the number of large dogs:
Given:
S + L = 49
S - L = 36
Solution:
S - L = 36 becomes
S = L + 36
Substitute L + 36 for S in the first given so that
S + L = 49
becomes
(L + 36) + L = 49
simplify to
2L = 49 - 36 = 13
reduce both sides by dividing each by 2
2L/2 = 13/2
reduces to
L = 6.5
solving for S,
S + 6.5 = 49
S = 49 - 6.5 = 42.5
The number of small dogs would be 42.5.
And the number of large dogs wold be 6.5.
check your work...
42.5 + 6.5 = 49
42.5 - 6.5 = 36
It’s correct.
However, since we are dealing with dogs, the answer should be in whole numbers or the original proposal would be invalid. If we were discussing large and small hot dogs, it could make sense to have halves.
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