Math Expert Needed!

[Cichlid_Man]

Ok...
This is probably the most dumbest thing I have ever asked before but here goes.
I got an email from my cousin with a "so-called" simple 5th grade math problem.

Maybe someone here has seen this and knows the trick to it.
I can do the math, but the answer doesn't unlock the excel spreadsheet.
Let me know your thoughts.
Here it is

This is easy if you clearly read the problem
Legs Math Problem
This is a 5th grade math problem. If you can't stand word math
problems,just delete now. If you can open the spreadsheet,
you'll see it's a very small list of people who have gotten
the correct number. This is not a trick question. This is a real
math problem so don't say that a bus has no legs.

There are 7 girls in a bus Each girl has 7 backpacks
In each backpack, there are 7 big cats
For every big cat there are 7 little cats
Question: How many legs are there in the bus?
The number of legs is the password to unlock the Excel
sheet.

[Drumachine09]

14............................

[MandyL]

? 5,698???

Oh, or it doesn't say that the girls have the backpacks IN the bus?

[cocoa_pleco]

196 big cat legs, 14 girls legs, and 1372 small cat legs equals 1582 total

[RichBowyer]

I came up with 39,802 legs of varying degrees of hairyness. Wheres this locked sheet?

[MandyL]

ROFL yep did it again and 1,582.

[cocoa_pleco]

ROFL yep did it again and 1,582.

you got the same as me! looks like we're right!

[jillybean1852]

Ok.......

There are 7 big cats in each backpack and 49 backpacks, so 7x49= 343 big cats. Then there is 7 lil cats for every big cat so 7x343= 2401 lil cats. Then you take the 2401+343= 2744 cats total. Then you multiply that by 4 (4 legs each) and that = 10,976 cat legs. Then there are 7 girls 2 legs each so 7x2= 14 legs. So, 10,976 + 14= 10,990 legs on the bus. Holy crap thats a lot of legs..>LOL!

Answer= 10,990 legs

[Algenco]

10,990 legs

343 big cats x 4= 1372 legs
2401 little cats x 4= 9604 legs
7 girls x2=14 legs

[cocoa_pleco]

man, this is intense! i need to see the right answer!!!!!!!

[Algenco]

Hey jilleybean I think we got it!!

ninja post

[jillybean1852]

Hey jilleybean I think we got it!!

ninja post

:19: We sure do! LOL! I was forgetting in the beginning to multiply the large cats and was getting another answer and then re-read it and was like DUH! LOL! :hmm3grin2orange:

[RichBowyer]

I went the other way. 7 little cats have 28 legs. Add 4 to that for the big cat and that gives you 32. So 32 for each big cat.

There are 7 big cats x 32 legs for each pack. That gives us 224 legs/ pack.

With 224 legs per pack thats 1,568 legs in the seven packs each girl has. Add her own two and you have 1570 legs for each girl.

Multiply for 7 girls and you have 10,990.

scratches head...not sure what I did before.

[RichBowyer]

.....I'm more of a dog guy. :o)

[jillybean1852]

Lol!..........

[Algenco]

cmon! The suspense is killing me!

[Cichlid_Man]

cmon! The suspense is killing me!

I have come up with all the variations that all of you have...
STILL, it won't unlock the Excel spreadsheet.
Is there a way to upload the excel spreadsheet here so you can try and get this?
I am never going to be able to sleep again until I find the trick or real answer.
I come up with 10,990 but that doesn't open the sheet.
I even added 2 more feet in case we had to count the bus driver.

I am baffled

[RichBowyer]

Did you try 10990. Without a comma?

[RichBowyer]

try 1386 while your at it.

[Cichlid_Man]

try 1386 while your at it.
I tried 10990 with and without a comma...1386 doesn't work either.

Could it be something stupid like typing in letters and not numbers?
Like thirteeneightysix?

I am messed up over this

[Azear]

ok, nasty way would be to use a password cracker ^_^

oh and good luck with theses cats... I'm not a Dog guy, but a fish guy :P

[MandyL]

Ok let me try again...

7 girls x 2 legs = 14 legs
7 girls x 7 backpacks = 49 backpacks
7 big cats x 49 backpacks = 343 big cats
343 big cats x 4 legs = 1372 legs
7 little cats x 343 big cats = 2401 little cats
2401 little cats x 4 legs = 9604 legs

14 girl legs + 1372 big cat legs + 9604 little cat legs = 10,990

Right?

[MandyL]

OR you could cheat and google it... [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Did you try 0?

[Mvjnz]

Doesn't take an expert to work this out. I'm sure any 10 year old would be able to figure it out.

[Cichlid_Man]

Doesn't take an expert to work this out. I'm sure any 10 year old would be able to figure it out.

I have tried everything you all have posted and nothing opens the excel spreadsheet.

If a 10 year old can figure it out, come on Mvjnz....let's have the answer....:c2:


I also tried to google it and none of the answers they have open the spreadsheet either.
I come up with 10990. That is the correct math. Apparently there is a trick to this even though the email says there isn't.
Thanks for trying.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Try all of these.
14
196
1435

[Drumachine09]

Doesn't take an expert to work this out. I'm sure any 10 year old would be able to figure it out.



Please enlighten us, your highness....




Also, try 0.

[jillybean1852]

Could it possibly just be counting human legs? Have you tried just 14?

[Rue]

Why did I get 9618 and no one else did? :hmm3grin2orange:

[Rue]

7 girls x 2 legs

49x7x7 cats x 4 legs

[DragonGoby]

I've just tried 7^4 that's give :2401... But then, I don't count the number of legs... But the number of "somethings" in the bus...

But I count all the legs : I find the same as cocoa... 1582... But then you don't count the legs of the bus... So try 1586...

But I've always be a "0" in math... so don't count on me for this!:hmm3grin2orange:

[Wild Turkey]

Doesn't take an expert to work this out. I'm sure any 10 year old would be able to figure it out.

Bold statement from the guy who doesnt have the answer. Way to insult urself and all the big names at AC in one breath.

[MandyL]

I have tried everything you all have posted and nothing opens the excel spreadsheet.

If a 10 year old can figure it out, come on Mvjnz....let's have the answer....:c2:


I also tried to google it and none of the answers they have open the spreadsheet either.
I come up with 10990. That is the correct math. Apparently there is a trick to this even though the email says there isn't.
Thanks for trying.


Honestly I think someone is screwing with you and put an incorrect answer as the password. :P

[Wild Turkey]

Try 1190, it doesnt specify that the small cats are in the bus. Try 1192 (bus driver) as well i guess, even though it doesnt say there is one.

[MandyL]

Maybe try "tenthousandninehundredninety"

[sandy_n]

1582.........

[cocoa_pleco]

i did it again and i still get my original answer, 1582

[Rue]

There are 7 girls in a bus Each girl has 7 backpacks
In each backpack, there are 7 big cats
For every big cat there are 7 little cats
Question: How many legs are there in the bus?

7 girls X 2 legs = 14 legs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7 X 7 = 49 backpacks

49 X 7 = 343 big cats

343 X 7 = 2401 little cats.

Total cats = 2744

2744 X 4 legs = 10976

10976 + 14 = 10990

Okay...why is that different from my first answer?

~~~~~~~~

Too tired to figure it out further...:c1:

[Rue]

If it's not a trick question, then that should be right.

If it's a trick question, then the answer could be 14, since the question doesn't say that the backpacks, or the cats, are on the bus...

[Wild Turkey]

Actually i fudged up my math the last time, doing it too quickly without a calculator... my answer should have been 1386 (or 1388 busdriver)

[Rue]

And how did you come up with that? That's almost 10,000 less legs than in the example...

[Wild Turkey]

I came up with that number by not including the small cats, which are not specified to be in the backpacks, thus, not on the bus

[Rue]

The backpacks aren't specified to be on the bus either...nor the big cats...

[DragonGoby]

Perhpas 1584 and not 1586... Bus have no legs... But Bus driver yes...:hmm3grin2orange:

[Wild Turkey]

Kinda sorta, but its obvious that this is a trick question, and the wording suggests the little cats should be included... obviously 10990 and 14 are not the answer we're looking for, so why would you continue to include everything, or nothing but the girls? The answer has to lie somewhere inbetween, unless there is no correct answer and the guy is playing a joke.

Also, try 16 if you havent yet.

[Rue]

The question didn't make any mention of a bus driver either...so all of us are speculating!

The orginal post stated it was NOT a trick question. If it were, then you could also speculate someone was missing leg(s)...so another potential 'trick' ...

But even if we assume there's no trick, still, the only legs specificed to be on the bus are those of the girls!

[Wild Turkey]

The question didn't make any mention of a bus driver either...so all of us are speculating!

The orginal post stated it was NOT a trick question. If it were, then you could also speculate someone was missing leg(s)...so another potential 'trick' ...

But even if we assume there's no trick, still, the only legs specificed to be on the bus are those of the girls!

Thats the point. If its not a trick question the answer is either going to be 14 or 10990......And its not so it is.

[Kaga's Kritters]

I say the answer is 0. A bus does not have legs.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Can't be 0, the question if very specific in how it is asked, it doesn't ask "how many legs are on the bus," it askes "how many legs are in the bus." If the question was worded the first way then 0 could be a valid answer, but the wording of the quesiton does not allow for it to be a valid answer. Trick or no trick, if the creator of the question did make the answer 0 then they asked the question wrong and have given an invalid answer.

[Kaga's Kritters]

I see what you are saying.

The answer is 10990

7 girls x 2 legs = 14 legs
7 girls x 7 backpacks = 49 backpacks
49 backpacks x 7 big cats = 343 big cats
343 big cats x 4 legs = 1372 legs
343 big cats x 7 little cats = 2401 little cats
2401 little cats x 4 legs = 9604

so 14 legs + 1372 legs + 9604 legs = 10990

[Rue]

No...there are way more legs than 1582: There are 2744 cats.

There are 7 girls in a bus Each girl has 7 backpacks
In each backpack, there are 7 big cats
For every big cat there are 7 little cats
Question: How many legs are there in the bus?

7 girls X 2 legs = 14 legs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7 X 7 = 49 backpacks

49 X 7 = 343 big cats

343 X 7 = 2401 little cats.

Total cats = 2744

2744 X 4 legs = 10976

10976 + 14 = 10990

Okay...why is that different from my first answer?

~~~~~~~~

Too tired to figure it out further...:c1:

[Wild Turkey]

No...there are way more legs than 1582: There are 2744 cats.

Well...i said 1386... not 1582 but i think that reply was for me. We already know that your answer is wrong...so how can you say what the answer is or isnt? YOU were the one that said none of the cats were specified to be on the bus.. so the number of cats being higher doesnt mean anything for sure. I told you how i got my answer, by excluding the smaller cats, which means there are only 200 or 300 some cats....By the way a bunch of people guessed 14, why wouldnt you say something about that?

[Rue]

...wasn't talking to you...so there! *phrtttt* :laugh1blue:

[Wild Turkey]

...wasn't talking to you...so there! *phrtttt* :laugh1blue:

Still applies to 1586, and any number under 10,990.....especially if it is a trick question which we've pretty much established it is. His answer could defenitely be the right one

[jillybean1852]

Try 1190, it doesnt specify that the small cats are in the bus. Try 1192 (bus driver) as well i guess, even though it doesnt say there is one.

You know, I have to go with this. It doesnt specify that they are on/in the bus...lol. Which if that was the case, then it would be

7 girls x 7 backpacks each= 49 backpacks x 7 big cats = 343 big cats
343 big cats x 4 legs each = 1372 legs plus the 14 legs for the 7 girls = 1386 legs total. Try that one....hopefully it works. :)

[Wild Turkey]

You know, I have to go with this. It doesnt specify that they are on/in the bus...lol. Which if that was the case, then it would be

7 girls x 7 backpacks each= 49 backpacks x 7 big cats = 343 big cats
343 big cats x 4 legs each = 1372 legs plus the 14 legs for the 7 girls = 1386 legs total. Try that one....hopefully it works. :)

Actually i did the math wrong and corrected it later, shouldnt have done it in my head the first time cuz i accidently used 42 as the answer for 7x7 when its 49, but yes the answer is 1386 if you do it that way

[jillybean1852]

Actually i did the math wrong and corrected it later, shouldnt have done it in my head the first time cuz i accidently used 42 as the answer for 7x7 when its 49, but yes the answer is 1386 if you do it that way

lol....Yeah, I do that sometimes too but I saw you corrected it. :) But you are right. Its the only other answer that makes sense and after reading what you posted and going back to re read the problem, I cant see how this answer wouldnt work. Especially after the first two didnt work. Unless, of course, the person who set the password came up with some bogus math...:hmm3grin2orange: