Tricky Half - Answer
A farmer was asked how many chickens he had sold at market that day. His reply was:
"I've had four customers today, and each bought half of my remaining chickens, plus a half chicken."
The farmer sold all of his chickens at market that day. How many chickens did the farmer sell?
Answer:
15 chickens.
The first customer bought 15 ÷ 2 + ½ = 8 (leaving 7)
The second customer bought 7 ÷ 2 + ½ = 4 (leaving 3)
The third customer bought 3 ÷ 2 + ½ = 2 (leaving 1)
The fourth customer bought 1 ÷ 2 + ½ = 1
The second customer bought 7 ÷ 2 + ½ = 4 (leaving 3)
The third customer bought 3 ÷ 2 + ½ = 2 (leaving 1)
The fourth customer bought 1 ÷ 2 + ½ = 1
The answer can be worked out in the following way:
The fourth customer can only have bought one chicken, otherwise there would be some chickens left. The third customer bought all but 1, so total - (total ÷ 2 + ½) = 1. Hence we can work the reverse way and the answer can be achieved.
The fourth customer can only have bought one chicken, otherwise there would be some chickens left. The third customer bought all but 1, so total - (total ÷ 2 + ½) = 1. Hence we can work the reverse way and the answer can be achieved.
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