A simple 3rd grade math problem

[Msmith]

Fax has a garage sale. The cost of the sweater is $18. Fax sells it for $21. A person buys the sweater and gives Fax a $100 bill. Fax goes to his neighbor for change. He gives the buyer $79 back. The next day the neighbor tells Fax that the $100 is faked. Fax gives the neighbor back $100. How much money does Fax lose?

[Scorp]

Ummm 176 dollars?

[Bugeater]

If a 747 is sitting on a conveyor belt...

[-King-]

$97?
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[Bugeater]

But the answer is $97.

[mlyonsd]

$197.

[BigRichard]

Considering that FAX is a mad genius, he didn't lose a dime. See when he went to his neighbors house he was really just getting his own fake money to give the ass hat that gave him the fake $100. And he also "forgot" to tell said ass hat that the sweater was infected with burning Aids. It was a win win for FAX.

[Kyle DeLexus]

$97

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by Msmith

Fax has a garage sale. The cost of the sweater is $18. Fax sells it for $21. A person buys the sweater and gives Fax a $100 bill. Fax goes to his neighbor for change. He gives the buyer $79 back. The next day the neighbor tells Fax that the $100 is faked. Fax gives the neighbor back $100. How much money does Fax lose?

$200, or $197, or "can't quite determine", depending on how you read this.

$100 to the neighbor who he had to give a real $100 in replacement of the fake.

$79 in real money paid to the jerk who passed off the phony bill.

And $18 or $21, the value of the sweater that he's lost without getting a (legitimate) dime for it.

The confusion is that the OP says the "cost" of the sweater is $18 but someone pays $21 for it. The real number depends on what the real value of the sweater is to a legimate buyer paying in real cash. If the real value of teh sweater is $18, then the answer if $197. If $21, then $200. If something else, then $100+$79+[something else]

[Bugeater]

Some of you apparently don't realize the only time any money comes out of FAX's pocket during this transaction is when he gives the neighbor $100.

Yes, he bought the sweater originally, but he ended up with $21 of real cash in his pocket after he gave the buyer his change.

It's $97.

[Simply Red]

HEY! you know how you sell a def man a duck?

[epitome1170]

Depends... did he give back the fake $100 bill or was it just $100?

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

$200, or $197, or "can't quite determine", depending on how you read this.

$100 to the neighbor who he had to give a real $100 in replacement of the fake.

$79 in real money paid to the jerk who passed off the phony bill.

And $18 or $21, the value of the sweater that he's lost without getting a (legitimate) dime for it.

The confusion is that the OP says the "cost" of the sweater is $18 but someone pays $21 for it. The real number depends on what the real value of the sweater is to a legimate buyer paying in real cash. If the real value of teh sweater is $18, then the answer if $197. If $21, then $200. If something else, then $100+$79+[something else]

That money came out of the neighbor's pocket, not FAX's

[BigRichard]

Let me set this up in an equation for you:

48÷2(9+3)

Now what do you think the answer is?

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by BigRichard

Let me set this up in an equation for you:

48÷2(9+3)

Now what do you think the answer is?

That was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread. Here we go again...

The difference here is that there is an indisputable answer.