Harvard students are known to be some of the best and brightest in the country, however despite this, over half of Harvard students who attempted this puzzle got it wrong!
The puzzle is actually quite challenging, and requires a very straightforward and methodical method of thought.
If you want to give it a shot, check out the problem in the graphic below.
Most people will stare at this, and not see any other solution other than that the bat must be a dollar, but this is incorrect!
If you want some help with the solution, read on below for a full mathematical answer.
Try the puzzle again, but this time assign the cost of the ball as the variable ‘x’ and the bat as the term ‘x+1’.
This means that x + (x+1) = $1.10
Solving for x should give you a value of 0.05, meaning that the ball costs $0.05, and if the bat is a dollar more, then the bat must cost $1.05.
Does this make sense? Try adding them up: $1.05 + $0.05 = $1.10, so the solution must be correct.
Even more entertaining are some of the comments that people had about the puzzle, such as those who insisted that they were right, claiming that the ball could cost 10 cents.
This does not make sense, because if the ball costs 10 cents, then the bat must cost $1.10, meaning their summed total would be $1.20 which is greater than the given value of $1.10
How did you do on the puzzle? Are you convinced there could be another answer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and see if you can trick a friend with this clever puzzle!
credit : awm.com
