The answer comes from a logical fallacy. It's this statement right here: "This means that each man paid nine dollars for the room." Where did the nine come from? It came from 30-3�3=9. Why on earth would you subtract three, though? They were out FIVE. The math done properly should be 30-5�3=8.33. Replace the nine with that number and the problem works out just fine (minus the penny we just lost in rounding down). Observe: This means that each man paid 8.33 dollars for the room. 8.33 dollars times the three (three men) is twenty-five. Now add the two dollars the bellboy took, plus the three dollars that was returned to them and that is thirty. There is no reason to add the $2 back in because it was in the $9 each of them paid. You could just add back in the $3 they got back. ^_<

&quot;3 people pay $10 each for a motel room for $30. The manager over charge[d] them [by $5] and gives [the] $5 in ones to the bellhop to return to them." Paid in: $30 $25 in cash drawer. $5 in bellhop's hand. "he keeps $2 for himself." Paid in: $30 $25 in cash drawer. $3 in bellhop's hand. $2 in bellhop's pocket. Each person paid $10 but receives $1 in return. Paid in: $27 ($30 - $3 refund.) $25 in cash drawer. $2 in bellhop's pocket. Ok.... So each person paid $9 ($10 - $1). That comes to $27. The bellhop gets $2. That makes $29. My answer. I have no idea! UPDATE: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/trivia/dollar.htm Where did the missing dollar go? Nowhere. A dollar only goes "missing" because the statement "each man paid $9 for the room" is wrong -- each of three men paid out a total of $9, but that $9 included both the room charge and the bellboy's tip. All in all, each man paid out a total of $9 and had $1 left over, completely accounting for the $30 they started with. The room cost $25, so each man paid one-third of that cost ($8.33). The bellboy kept a tip of $2, so each man paid one-third of that cost ($0.67) as well. Overall, each man paid out $9 ($8.33 + $0.67) and had a dollar left over: (3 x $9) + (3 x $1) = $27 + $3 = $30. Any dollars still left unaccounted for may be sent to us for proper disposal. ---- LoL :)

Okay I just want to thank you for the night of no sleep i am going to get after trying to answer this question now my brain is swollen :D

good question, i have no idea, i am so confused! been thinking, 3 into 5 goes 1.6666. so the bell hop kept each of there 66 cents after they got there $1 back, which adds up to the $5. so they actually paid $8.34 each and should of recieved a $1.66 back. 3 doesn't go evenly into $5. try that. :-)

To the bellhop, who brought them the money! You always tip a bellhop. Just guessing without doing any math lol!

The problem with this problem is in making it too complicated. It's a simple trick that illusionists use. NO complicated math need be done. The three guests paid $30 for $10 each. The manager gives five of that thirty to the bellhop. The bellhop gives three of the five dollars back to the guests (30-3=27, 27/3=9) and keeps the two (left out of the five he was given). Simple. Stop there and forget the rest. The rest of the garbage is only there to distract and confuse. The question of the missing dollar is erroneous. There is no missing dollar. It simply isn't necessary to go through all the crazy math. Let me demonstrate how easy it is to confuse with erroneous information. I say there isn't a missing dollar. There are two EXTRA dollars. Each guest paid 9 right? 9 times 3 is 27 plus the three they got back gives them their thirty. And the bell-hop has two dollars that came from nowhere! How about THAT?

To simplify the already good answers posted here, look at it this way. Stop thinking they paid $9 apiece for the room. They didn't. They paid $9.66 apiece, when you include the $2 tip that the bell hop kept.

First, they paid $25 after the refund not $30. 25 divided by three equals 8.3333333 etc. Then the bellboy kept a $2 tip. 2 divided by 3 is .66666666 etc. round that up to $0.67. All three would have paid $8.33 for the room. Then they gave a tip of .67 each. 8.33 times 3 equals $24.99. Add .67 to that you get 25.66. Add .67 to that you get 26.33. And finally add .67 to that you get 27. They each got a dollar back. 3 x 1 = 3. Add 3 to 27 and you get 30. There are a couple of ways you can work this with one person paying a penny more here or there but it all comes out in the end.

I was gonna say a 30 cent bag of chips and 2 packs of gum, but I believe there's some serious math to be done here. Unfortunately, I'm only a Novice, so I'll leave this to the Professor :)

wow, math = headache.

There is no extra dollar!:)

I'm bad at math... but I feel like there should be more to this question.

Hey dude, post the riddle in an answer. Its too big to fit in the question.

this is a math riddle, 3 people went to a near by resturant to get a meal that costed each one of them $10. each paied $10 which made the total $30. the waiter took the $30 to the owner so he could put it in the safe. the owner told the waiter that these 3 guys are regulars in the resturant so he wanted to give them a discount and give them all $5 back. the waiter took the $5 to give it to the 3 guys. on his way to the guys' table, the waiter took $2 out of the $5 and gave them $3 back, each $1. so now each one of these guys paid actualy $9 since they each paid $10 and got $1 back. $9 * 3 = $27 now $27 plus $2 (the $2 the waiter took) = $29 ..... where did the 30th dollar go?? please don't give me half answers.. give me a full logical answer!

I know the answer.

There is no missing money. Each man is out $9, so $9 x 3 = $27 Each man still has $1 in their pockets $1 x 3 = $3 $27 + $3 = $30 The $2 in the bellhop's pocket is part of the $27 that the men paid. $25 of it went to the motel, $2 to the bellhop, and the remaining $3 went back to the customers. $25 + $2 + $3 = $30

The trick is in the calculation. Now lets see, Each dude pays 10 dollars amounting to 30 dollars. The waiter take it to the owner and he gives a discount and gives back 5 dollars, i.e, He has 25 dollars. The waiter takes 2 out of 5, i.e, He has 2 dollars. The dudes get back 1 dollar each. i.e, Dudes have 3 dollars. Owner -25 Waiter -2 Dudes -3 25+2+3=30. There, happy? Is it logical enough?

That's easy.. it's completely worded wrong, but hard to notice... They paid £30 and were getting £5 discount... out of the £5 discount, they get 3 back and 2 goes to the waiter, 3 and 2 making 5 which makes the 25 back up to 30... It's cleverly worded so that of the £3 they gat back you take it from the 30 whereas it should be added to the 25, to make 28, and the 2 left is what the waiter took. Hmm hard to explain, but it's clear in my head x

Amy, dear, you should focus on your spelling homework too... <sigh>

Solved this long time ago LOOOOOOOOOOOONG TIME AGO, you got this from a video thats very famous, Anyways easiest way to answer is like this --------------------------------------------------------- Okay, the manager charges them $30, they each pay $10, the manager notices its supposed to be $25 so he sends back a bellhop to pay them back, he steals $2 for himself and gives them back each $1 BellhopsMoney:2 MensMoney:3 Money payed: 27, 2+3+27= 30. Now the 9x9 is the confusing part, the answer is 27, people think that 27 includes the three mens money | NO!!!!!!! It includes the bellhops money, so you add the three mens money to that | 27+3 = 30. Simple logic.

The question is bogus, they paid 10 dollars at the start and in the end they only received 1 dollar for a total of 3 dollars,they did not pay 9 dollars they paid 10. Guests(1+1+1)+ Bellhop(2)+ Manager(25)=30 (without losing a penny). It is an illusion.

The real question is... why are three men checking in to one hotel room, especially one that only cost $25 for 3 people. And why does a place like that have a bellhop. Something fishy is going on at that place.

guys please note that you are made to think they all paid nine where originally you need to make sure you take away the 2 so they didn't all 9, they paid less. it is a trick question, they trick you when they say 9!

hey dont be so confused. its very simple and easy to understand.hope i could make it easy for you guys to understand the question and answer as well. each person paid $9.so total charges paid by them=$27 in they beginning they paid $30 and got $3 back.so in actual they paid $27. please dont add $2 to the $27 as its already been included.the $3 is the amount they got back from the manager. i m sure i have made myself clear to you all.

The charge per man should have been $25/3 = $8.33. Each actually paid $10 so they were each overcharged $10 - $8.33 = $1.67. They only got $1 back cos the bellboy kept the other 3 x $0.67 = $2

i think its just this... $25 was paid for the room $2 in bellhop's pocket $3 given back to each of the three equals $30 u don't count 9*3=27 because they did not rent the room for $27.. this $27 is $25 for the room $2 for the bellhop i think thats it.

the asnwer is easy, its simply the way you look at it, the asnwer is a decimal, thats rounded down, which makes it 29. 4 or less to make 29 if your doing it by adding, if you do it my subtracking, the asnwer would be a decimal 0.4 or less, to be rounded down to 0 or a perfect asnwer. to asnwer the questiomn you have to take stuff away, not add it together, it wont work that way.

&quot;each man takes $1 back and gives the clerk a $2 tip" So as you worded it, each man paid ($10 minus $1) plus a $2 tip, 9+2=11 x 3 =$33 cost for the room. You owe me $3 before you can check out.

The better question is, who the heck is tipping the clerk twice? In actuality, the 9 dollars that the men paid is AFTER the tip...not before. Otherwise they would have gotten their portion of the tip money returned to them as well. You can look at it like this: The men paid 10 dollars to begin with for the room cost. The clerk returned with 5 dollars back. Each man gets $1.66 as their portion of the 5 dollars. At this point the have paid 10 - 1.66 or 8.33 dollars. They then decide to tip 2 dollars...each man's portion being 2 / 3 or .66 cents. 8.33 + .66 tip, or 9 dollars. In total they've paid 9 * 3 or 27...which is the 25 dollar discounted amount...plus a 2 dollar tip.

the next day 2 people pay $15 each for the same motel room for $30. the manager over charges the and gives $5 in ones to the bellhop to return to them, but he keeps $3 for himself. So each person paid only $14 then, 14+14= 28 + 3 that the bellhop kept = 31 there's your missing dollar...lol easy.. but both of us are wrong and you know it..mathematics don't lie, the trick is in how you ask the question, is just word play, words mixed with numbers the wrong way...send me an email if you get this if u have something to say about this answer all comments welcome

Please. Excuse. My. Dear. Aunt. Sally = The algebra formula: parentheses, multiply, divide, addition, and subtract... If you can't accomplish this formula in order the variables will constantly change, THERE IS NO ANSWER GUYS.... This is called the un-solvable algebra riddle, with the rules of math that we created it fails on paper!

First of all there is nothing to understand... It's impossible because there is no variable that can be contingent in the equation of the ORDER... Please-Excuse, My, Dear, Aunt, Sally = the order of algebra's rules = Parentheses, Multiply, Divide, Add, Subtract... I had this as a project question in school, there is no answer... STOP TRYING! AND LYNDSI ITS NOT A RIDDLE!!! IT'S ALGEBRA

The room only cost $25, Not 27. They didn't pay 9. Each