Slow and Stupid Wins the Race?
Math brain teasers require computations to solve.
Hare and Tortoise had to take a make-up class in math over the summer, a two-month, self-paced course with a test at the end of each of 12 chapters. The course requires a 70% grade to pass.
In the first month, they both had difficulties with the concepts. Hare averaged 60% on his exams; Tortoise averaged 50%. Owl, the supervisor, spent three days of the next week helping them with their difficulties.
It worked. In the second month, Hare averaged 90% on his exams; Tortoise averaged 80%.
However, Tortoise got a passing grade of 75% in the class; Hare failed with 65%. When Hare protested to Owl that he'd outscored Tortoise in both months, Owl made Hare do the math on the board -- and sign up for another make-up class, after school in the fall.
How did Tortoise pass while Hare flunked?
HintThey worked at different speeds.
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Answer
In the first month, Hare took 10 chapter tests; Tortoise took only 2. In the second month, Hare took his remaining 2 exams and Tortoise took the 10 he needed to finish.
Hare's average = (10*60 + 2*90) / 12 = 780/12 = 65
Tortoise's average = (2*50 + 10*80)/12 = 900/12 = 75
Mathematicians know this as Simpson's paradox.
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Comments
Darklight 
Sep 14, 2005
| sigh.......  |
joeyleahs2 
Sep 14, 2005
| wierd  |
kayleeskitties  
Sep 15, 2005
| Very challenging teaser....awesome!  |
quickster94
Sep 20, 2005
| Good! I didn't get it  |
mbunap
Sep 23, 2005
| Since you did not ask for the math behind the scores, I didn't bother to do it. It was obvious that Hare took most of his tests in the first month, while tortoise took his in the second month. Because of my approach, I questioned why this question was placed in the math category. If you had asked for the arithmatic behind the numbers, the math category would have seemed appropriate. Still fun.  |
signmeup74
Oct 03, 2005
| If my math had been better, I'd have got it faster!!
Great MATH teaser!!  |
lifeisgood812
Oct 10, 2005
| awesome |
zonarita
Oct 23, 2005
| Fun working this one out. |
redraptor50
Nov 13, 2005
| Great one, although I didn't get it right next time hopefully |
legodude
Apr 09, 2006
| I loved it! |
calmsavior
May 10, 2006
| ++very++ nice |
pating
Jun 19, 2007
| the question is "How did Tortoise pass while Hare flunked?", not "how to get their average grades after the 1st month or the 2nd month or for the whole class".
the answer is already in the hint: They worked at different speeds! |
MarcM1098 
Jan 31, 2008
| Excellent quiz.
I guessed at the answer, but then did the MATH to show that I was right. A math test requires you to show your work, not just the answer! |
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