Fint being Fint.
https://riddlesbrainteasers.com/missing-dollar/
There is no missing dollar from the original $30 because after getting $1 back, the three travelers had paid a total of $27 for their room ($9 each), not $30. Out of that $27, the hotel has $25 and the clerk kept the remaining $2. If you still want to work from the original $30, the travelers have $3, the hotel has $25 and the bellboy has $2. The misleading part is adding the bellboy’s $2 to the $27, when in fact it should be subtracted.

3 + 6 = 9

BUT

3 x 3 = 9

Where did the 6 go? Shouldn't it be 12?

Sooner being later:

That is not what the problem said or the answer posted. According to the problem, the $27 did not include the tip. That is where the dollar is lost n the original calculation...but not really lost.

" Three travelers stop at a motel and ask for a room. Manager says the room is $30 and they each pull out a $10 bill. Later, the manager comes to them with five $1 bills, and reporting he erred by charging them the weekday rate on a weekend when rooms are actually just $25. The travelers notice the five $1 bills cannot be evenly distributed among them, so they take each take $1, and the remaining $2 becomes a tip for the manager. At this moment, each traveler has paid a net amount of $9.

Three times nine is 27. Add the manager's tip and you have $29. Where did the remaining dollar go?"

There is no missing dollar. Only poor methodology.
25 in the cash register
2 bucks in the managers pocket.
3 bucks returned to the customers.
$30

You are marking this WAY too difficult.

Wow, this gang will argue about anything.

Snow tires!

Just making it accurate...and my answer was absolutely correct (unlike the other). Adding the 3 dollars twice (instead of 3 and 2) because of the earlier mistake is not the answer in the math.

The net was not $27 ($9 apiece) before the tip, it was $9.34 with the net of $28 That is where the original problem lost the dollar which was where the problem was. Then adding the tip gives you thirty.

Working a problem backwards to make it work once you have the answer is good if you know how to work the problem to start with. It does not work otherwise.

And as stated above, the inference that the tip to the manager should be add to the $27 is the misleading bit. That is classic misdirection.

Best
Les

Exactly. How one frame it to pocket the extra dollar....0r $1M if the problem is changed.

Exactly.

Sounds like govt accounting to me.

8.33 x 3 =.25

10 x 3 = 30

10 -1= 9

2 ÷ 3 = .66

9 + .66 = 9.66

Alright Tabs...you know that real math is not allowed in OT...and complaining about it is evil. Take it to PARF!

Three guys give up $10 each to pay $30. $5 is refunded as an overpayment Each keeps $1 for a total outlay of $9 each. 9 x 3 = 27. They give the leftover $2 back as a tip. (9 x 3) - 2 = 25.

In the riddle the $2 tip is being used twice to arrive at $29.

First time when it is applied to the actual $25 room charge to arrive at $27.
Second time when it is applied to the $27 to arrive at $29.

The $3 refund should be subtracted from the original payment of $30 to arrive at $27.

It's a clever shell game with words.

The real riddle is imprecise wording so y'all can argue on how frame the same simple kindergarten arithmetic in multiple ways.

no matter how the accounting, there is no extra dollar and there was never a reason to believe there was an extra dollar, so there is no correct way to frame said non existent dollar

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This old chestnut again, really?

Okay. You have nine coins, all identical in appearance, but one is lighter than the others. You have a simple balance scale that you can use two times to identify the lighter coin. Difference in weight is subtle enough that you can't tell the difference by holding the coins.

Go