Even Harvard Students Have Struck Out On This Question. How Much Is The Ball Worth?

Math isn’t a subject universally loved by most school children. In fact, it’s not uncommon for most folks to tell you that they “suck at math.” It’s a demanding subject, with literally no room for error. The answers are often pretty cut and dry. And while this certainly is reassuring for some people, who appreciates the ordered simplicity within most mathematical problems, others find the subject too rigid and uninspiring. But, like it or not, math is something we all need in our daily lives. Everything we do requires mathematical calculations, even if we are unaware of them. For example, as my fingers strike the keyboard, I’m making certain mathematical calculations in my subconscious to judge the distance of each key and how much force is required to compress it. A part of my mind’s even counting how my keystrokes. The mathematical problem below may seem pretty easy at first glance, but it’s stumped even the smartest Harvard students. Sometimes simplicity can blind us even more so than complexity. Read the problem closely and see if you can find the correct answer. If you think you’ve got the right answer, or just want to see what it is, then you can scroll down for the solution. ======================================= ======================================= ======================================= ======================================= ======================================= ======================================= ======================================= =======================================   The correct answer to this problem is five cents. You see, the bat is a dollar more than the ball. Now, most folks would say that the ball is ten cents since the bat and the ball both equal $1.10. However, that answer doesn’t satisfy the conditions of the problem. If the bat costs a dollar more than the ball, then ten cents would make the bat cost $1.10 by itself. Therefore, to satisfy the conditions of the problem, the bat must cost $1.05, making the ball five cents.