Where's the other dollar?

[ScreaminPain]

3 Fishermen found a motel the night before a big fishing tournament. The motel clerk said he had 1 room left for $30 bucks.

The men agreed and each paid $10.

When the manager returned, the clerk notified him of the last room rental and told him he charged $30.

The manager pointed out a sign that said the room should only be $25. He took 5 one dollar bills out of the till and asked the clerk to refund the money to the fishermen.

The clerk (being perturbed and a little greedy) took the 5 $1 bills and went to the mens room and told the men he had $1 dollar refund for each of them.....that he had mistakenly overcharged. The three men then gladly accepted the $1 refund.

The clerk stuck the other $2 in his pocket!

Now the question is: The men originaly paid $30. And now, thanks to the $1 refund, each man has now paid $9, thats $27 bucks, and the clerk has $2 in his pocket, that makes $29 bucks......then where is the other dollar??????? :shrug:

 

[Lucena]

answer

answer

the answer has to do with order of operations

you can't add or subtract until after you multiply or divide

 

[Wilson]

The answer is in the way the question is worded. You cannot add what one person HAS to what someone else has PAID and come up with any kind of a meaningful number, you have to subtract.
Each man has paid $9.
The bellhop has $2.
Difference
$9 x 3 = $27
2
$25

The hotel clerk has the other 25 dollars.
To look at it from the standpoint of the original $30. Each man has $1.
The bellhop has $2.
The hotel clerk has $25.
Total
$1 x 3 = $3
2
25
$30