Trivia question ?????

[crazychicken]

I think i am just having trouble with the wording... take a look at this questions and tell me what you think. shouldn't take you but a minute

QUESTION

thanks
david

 

[Evadman]

a 1/2 lb.

 

[Cyberian]

The way I'm reading it - 1lb.

 

[Beau]

Originally posted by: Cyberian
The way I'm reading it - 1lb.

 

[Evadman]

I still say it is a 1/2 lb.

 

[MajesticMoose]

Originally posted by: Evadman
a 1/2 lb.

 

[wolf papa]

19.2 oz., I think. The way I read it, the 1/2 crab weighs "half as much again" implying that the weight of the 1/2 crab = 1.5 whole crab. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.

now gimme some candy

 

[olds]

They call that a trivia question? It's more like a trivial question.

 

[Brutuskend]

You tricked me you BASTARD!!

That's not TRIVIA, that's MATH!!!!!! ARGHHHHHHH

 

[dolph]

"if a crab and a half weigh a pound and a half"
1 1/2 crab = 1 1/2 lb
1 crab = 1 lb

"but if half the crab weighs half as much again as the whole crab"
1/2 crab = 1/2 lb

"blah blah blah"
1/2 + 1/2 = 1 lb.

 

[crazychicken]

i agree with dolph.. but are there any english majors out there who can analyze the "again" part?

bump

 

[Jfur]

I think the answer is 1.25 lbs.

whole crab=.5
half crab-1 lb (1/2 as much again [of itself?] as the whole crab -- this is the tricky part]

1/2 whole = .25
half=1

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: crazychicken
i agree with dolph.. but are there any english majors out there who can analyze the "again" part?

bump

For this problem, "half as much again" means 1.5 times as much.

half as much again as 2 is 3
...................................4 is 6
.................................10 is 15
etc.

 

[crazychicken]

excellent, does anyone know where i can show that that means what Cyberian said?

also, according to that, the answer is 4/3 lb.

is this correct?

math majors this time? haha

bump

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: crazychicken
excellent, does anyone know where i can show that that means what Cyberian said?

also, according to that, the answer is 4/3 lb.

is this correct?

math majors this time? haha

bump

I can't "prove it", but that is what it means in this question.
You are not going to like the answer.


Text

 

[crazychicken]

WHAT??!?!
here is the answer:

Feeling Crabby?. . .
: If a crab and a half weigh a pound and a half, but the half crab weighs half as much again as the whole crab, what do half the whole crab and the whole of the half crab weigh?

Answer: 2.1 Pounds. The whole crab must weigh 0.6 pounds and the half crab must weigh 0.9 pounds, totalling 1.5 pounds. If the former was doubled and the latter doubled the weights would then equal 2.1 pounds.

how does that work. i dont even understand what it says. "If the former was doubled and the latter doubled the weights would then equal 2.1 pounds.". What does that mean? if they are both doubled, then it equals 3 lbs right.

what the heck?

i would scan my work for my other answer, but my webserver is down

maybe tomorow.

if you could explain this in the meantime that'd be great!

thanks again
david
bump

 

[crazychicken]

hahaha i figured it out!!!

Two and one-tenth pounds. The whole crab must weigh six-tenths of a pound, and the half-crab nine-tenths (which is half as much again)totalling one-and-a-half pounds. If the former werehalved and the latter doubled, the weights would then be three-tenths and eighteen-tenths, totalling two and one-tenth pounds.

i got that form triviaplanet.com

thanks all!