hardmath

You start with 1000 then add 40 add another 1000 then add 30 add another 1000 then add 20 add one more 1000 then add 10 what is your answer?

If you said 5000 your wrong! The answer is 4100 how? 1000+40=1040 1040+1000+30=2070 2070+1000+20=3090 3090+1000=4090 4090+10=4100

Why this works

This riddle plays with the expectation that you're simply adding large numbers together to reach a total of 5000. However, the trick lies in the sequence of operations: while you do add 1000 four times, you also add decreasing amounts (40, 30, 20, and 10) after each 1000. If you follow the operations step by step, you see that the total is actually 4100, not 5000, because the additional amounts gradually decrease and are not enough to reach the sum one might first expect. It's a clever way to mislead someone into thinking the final total is much higher than it really is!

Common Wrong Answers

“5000”

Though 5000 is the total of adding 1000 four times, it ignores the additional values of 40, 30, 20, and 10 that were added at each step.

“4100”

While 4100 is the final sum, it is incorrectly assumed to be the correct answer. The riddle specifies that 5000 is wrong and hints at the methodology leading to 4100.

“4000”

4000 results from adding 1000 four times (1000 + 1000 + 1000 + 1000) without considering the additional amounts (40, 30, 20, 10) that need to be added.

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