Weird Math Question

[blackbox_dev]

Well... I found this question on the internet, and it kind of. interested me: http://school.discovery.com/brainbooste ... uzzle.html

But how do you actually solve it? I can't seem to do it.

Sure, call me stupid, call me an idiot, but you know what? I am.

[bicostp]

Well... I found this question on the internet, and it kind of. interested me: http://school.discovery.com/brainbooste ... uzzle.html

But how do you actually solve it? I can't seem to do it.

Sure, call me stupid, call me an idiot, but you know what? I am.

<img src="http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/7123 ... ockex6.jpg">

The first part of the question says "it was as many hours after one o'clock in the afternoon as it was before one o'clock in the morning". There are 12 hours between 1 AM and 1 PM. Since the time difference between them and the mystery time is equal, the mystery time is halfway between them. Half of 12 is?... Right. 6. Six hours after 1 PM it is 7 PM. (1 + 6 = 7) So far we have a time of 7 PM. Don't believe me? Count it out on the clock image above.

The next step is a real duh. "Two hours ago..." So we now have a question that says "Two hours ago it was 7:00 PM." You can figure that out. The answer is 9 PM.

[Meh]

Lets split this up for you.

Two hours ago

We know the Final answer needs a "+2"

it was as many hours after one o'clock in the afternoon as it was before one o'clock in the morning

1(pm) + 12(hours) = 1(am)

Here we see that the difference between two times is twelve hours. We want half this value:

12(hours) / 2 = 6(hours)

We want to add this onto 1(pm) to find the required value before the "+2":

1(pm) + 6(hours) = 7(PM)

What time is it now?

well we have the the time before the "+2". We simply add that:

1(pm) + 6(hours) + 2(hours)

or Simplified:

7 + 2 = 9(PM)

[Meh]

Damn, got beaten. Well, mine's well layed out at least.

[blackbox_dev]

Heh, thanks.

[Nicholai]

Or you could do it by equation.

(12/2)+1+2=9

[Meh]

Thats mine rearranged