hardmath

A bat and a ball cost $1.10. The bat costs one dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?

The ball costs 5c. Not 10c. One dollar more than 10c is $1.10, $1.10 + 10c is $1.20 One dollar more than 5c is $1.05. The sum of which is $1.10

Why this works

This riddle plays with our initial intuition about the prices involved. At first glance, many people might assume the ball costs 10 cents, leading to the bat costing $1.10, which is incorrect since that would total $1.20. However, if we let the ball cost 5 cents, then the bat, being one dollar more, would be $1.05. Adding these together gives us the correct total of $1.10, demonstrating how easy it is to overlook the details in a seemingly simple problem!

Common Wrong Answers

“10c”

If the ball costs 10 cents, then the bat would cost $1.10 (10c + $1.00). This adds up to $1.20, which is incorrect.

“15c”

If the ball costs 15 cents, then the bat would cost $1.15 (15c + $1.00). This totals $1.30, which exceeds the given total of $1.10.

“1c”

If the ball costs 1 cent, then the bat would cost $1.01 (1c + $1.00), resulting in a total of $1.02, which is not $1.10.

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