This maths puzzle might just leave you feeling a bit tearful.
Mathematics is one of the most polarising subjects we study at school. Some individuals thrive in it, while others struggle to understand topics such as algebra and geometry.
However, it can have some crucial real-world applications – like calculating a percentage discount when shopping or knowing how to divide something into equal parts.
Engaging with various maths brainteasers can also enhance your cognitive function and improve your problem-solving abilities. They can even help ward off diseases like dementia by strengthening the connections between your brain cells.
If you’re seeking a way to challenge your maths prowess, then this tricky exam question could be the ideal method. But be forewarned, because the brainteaser left one woman so exasperated she burst into tears as she couldn’t solve it.
A video shared on TikTok by The Math Tutor initially showed a clip of an American teenager reading a question from a maths exam.
She was already crying when the video began and exclaimed, “I hate word problems”, as she read out the complex question, which was presented more like a riddle than a straightforward equation.
The question was: “One number is 5 more than another number. Three times the greater plus twice the lesser is 30. Determine the numbers.”
The girl in the video expressed her frustration, revealing that the question was “messing” with her as she couldn’t figure out what it was asking. Admittedly, it sounds puzzling, but when you deconstruct it, the conundrum can be neatly resolved with elementary algebra.
The TikTok tutorial proceeded to dissect the mathematical poser – so if you’re not ready for spoilers, don’t read any further!
The approach involves distilling the written problem into basic algebraic expressions. Initially, the problem claims that “one number”, which we’ll call X, equates to the sum of five and another unknown number, or Y. Thus, we establish our first formula: x = 5 + y.
Given that X is bigger than Y, as inferred from this first equation, you can deduce the equation for the subsequent sentence. It claims that three lots of X plus two lots of Y equals 30. Articulated in algebraic terms leads us to: 3x + 2y = 30.
Solving these mathematical expressions isn’t immediately obvious, but it is certainly attainable with a sprinkle of algebra wisdom. First, tackle the second expression by substituting X with the value elucidated in the opening equation, transmuting the calculation to 3(5 + y) + 2y = 30.
You can then solve the brackets to give you 15 + 3y + 2y = 30, or more simply, 15 + 5y = 30. Next, get rid of 15 from both sides of the equation, leaving you with 5y = 15. This lets you uncover the value of Y, which is three.
Finally, use this information to work out the first equation to give you the value of X. If Y is three, then the equation is x = 5 + 3, meaning X must be eight.
