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If you enjoy maths problems, have a look.....

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  • If you enjoy maths problems, have a look.....

    A man had 17 cows. Before he died, he told his sons that the eldest would get half the number of cows. to the second he bequeathed one third the number of cows and to the third he left one ninth the number of cows. After the father's death, the sons wondered how to divide the cows.
    1/2 of 17 = 8.5. "How can we have eight and a half cows?" said the eldest son. They racked their brains but failed to find a solution.So the three sons went to the wisest man in the village and asked him to help out. "Take my cow and see if you can find a solution", said the wise old man. "But how can we deprive you of your one and only cow?" said the young men. When the old wise man kept on insisting the young men decided to take his cow. Now the division was quite easy as they had 18 cows.
    "Half of 18 is nine, one third of 18 is six and one ninth of 18 is two" . so the three brothers got 9, 6 and 2 cows respectively.That totalled to 17 cows. And the one cow left behind was duly returned to the wise old man.

    Explain!
    Tags: None

  • #2
    Re: If you enjoy maths problems, have a look.....

    Because the deceased old man got his fractions wrong..
    1/2 + 1/3 + 1/9 = 17/18ths (of 17), which leaves 1/18 (of 17) and results in 3 partial cows in the shareout with part of a cow left over.
    By adding another cow we get 17/18ths of 18, which divides evenly in to 17 whole cows leaving one whole cow (1/18th) spare.
    Simples...I think...

    Shepherdess xx

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    • #3
      Re: If you enjoy maths problems, have a look.....

      Correct! Confuses most though!:12:

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      • #4
        Re: If you enjoy maths problems, have a look.....

        Well in fact the deceased cannot add up! A half + a third + a ninth only adds up to 0.944.

        Who gets the remaining 0.0556th of 17 cows? (=0.9452 cows).

        Also 17 is a prime number - it is not divisible by any whole number.

        In actual fact the 3 brothers have inherited more than what they were bequeathed because they have also shared that 0.9452th of a cow that the deceased didn't leave to anyone!!

        (caveat) I think!!
        They were out to get me!! But now it's too late!!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: If you enjoy maths problems, have a look.....

          Just think of all that extra steak!

          Comment

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