Braingle: 'Potatoes' Brain Teaser

Potatoes

Math brain teasers require computations to solve.

Puzzle ID:	#26693
Fun:	(2.78)
Difficulty:	(1.2)
Category:	Math
Submitted By:	hamburger

Gary began peeling a pile of 44 potatoes at the rate of 3 per minute. Four minutes later, Christen joined him, and peeled at the rate of 5 potatoes per minute. When they were finished, how many potatoes had each peeled?

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Comments

zonarita Nov 02, 2005	Ham, this was a wonderful teaser. Took me back to math class. In fact I had to get my daughter to help me figure out what I was doing wrong!
hamburger Nov 02, 2005	Thanks
sweetmama Nov 02, 2005	Good one hamburger!
nkatha23 Nov 02, 2005	Nice one but too easy for my blood!
cdrock Nov 02, 2005	good one but quite easy
cdrock Nov 02, 2005	good one but quite easy
peppamintp Nov 03, 2005	And I thought I was good in math
redraptor50 Nov 06, 2005	Good one, a bit easy, keep them coming
metallicman Nov 08, 2005	I remember reviewing this one. I like it, nice and easy.
karma48 Nov 09, 2005	Short; sweet; easy; fun. Thanks
sassafras_sam Nov 12, 2005	...and i thought i was good @ math O well my mind is off for the weekend i gess. hmmmm...
sassafras_sam Nov 12, 2005	i dont care i AM good at math
Baby_Girl Nov 13, 2005	i love math ..that was a great teaser
michelle3617 Nov 28, 2005	i think I should do problems like these every night before I do my math homework so I don't cry during calculus. Anyway, yes, I am a math nerd and enjoyed this
triskit Nov 28, 2005	fun
bluehawk Dec 08, 2005	RATS,I MEAN POTATOES, I WAS A EYE OR TWO OFF. KEEP THESE COMING IT KEEPS BASIC PEOPLE ON THERE TOES. I LIKED IT HAMSEY. GREAT JOB.
TheEarthling Dec 08, 2005	Very easy and fun.
Fourtyniner Dec 08, 2005	I thought I was going to have to solve some simultanious equasions - that would have made it more interesting - let's make it a bit tougher next time, but thanks anyway.
kick Dec 08, 2005	太简单了
tbech7430 Dec 08, 2005	Easy but, woke me up! Got my brain working at 5am
bobbet Dec 08, 2005	That was a good teaser not too simple not too difficult I< spud> right through it Keep them coming
LaCuqui Dec 08, 2005	Easy, but helped wake me up before I had my coffee.
shawneeo Dec 08, 2005	This was challenging enough for me, I got it without writing or using the calculator, but that is the very edge of my math ability, especially with doing it in my head. I noticed you didn't say that they both peeled until all potatos were gone. Had fun, Thanks!
christine77 Dec 08, 2005	Im not into math, not my thing...but good teaser nonetheless. Good job!
mrtickles Dec 08, 2005	I like easy ones, but this one was TOO easy.
cassiemark Dec 08, 2005	I thought it was fun! Thanks for submitting
BATBrain Dec 08, 2005	Enjoyed being taken way back to my highschool algebra "Story Problem" days. Easy but fun!!!!!
leftstaradam Dec 08, 2005	this was a good teaser~ thanks!
srichardson1066 Dec 08, 2005	Nice and easy, just the way I like my math!
celtic_knot Dec 08, 2005
southerngirl13 Dec 08, 2005	boring boring boring not a cool one!!!
southerngirl13 Dec 08, 2005	boring boring boring not a cool one!!!
lindz_1786 Dec 08, 2005	more of a math problem, than a teaser. but still pretty good. i got it!
morning_rain08 Dec 08, 2005	Nice one!
hockeygirl Dec 08, 2005	mabey if i wasnt so dumb i couldve got it!!oh well
zzzek Dec 08, 2005	Too too easy, but it wasn't completely boring.
Shawnheyhey123 Dec 08, 2005	I had had gotten 22 each?????? Oh well....
othersmarty008 Dec 08, 2005	ha everybody above doesn't have any special symol
othersmarty008 Dec 08, 2005	neither do i
smarty008 Dec 08, 2005	every body above doesn't have any special symbol :
smarty008 Dec 08, 2005	so i gess it dosnt sho them
thimblenoggin Dec 08, 2005	Made me hungry!
POPS Dec 08, 2005	Easy as ABC!!!!!!!! But still fun
FulanitoGM Dec 08, 2005	No offense, but this one was too easy! I read it over a couple of times trying to see if I caught a trick in there or something, but there was none. I worked it out and bada-bing... correct answer! Challenge us!
lmurray Dec 08, 2005	BESIDES, WHEN ALL THE POTATOS WHERE PEELED, WHEN DID THEY FINISH? ELEMENTARY. HOW ABOUT SOME A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING. ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THE FORM THE MAN THE CHICKEN THE FOX AND A BAG OF GRAIN
stephiesd Dec 08, 2005	most of the math puzzles on this site are so hard that they made me doubt my math skills. Thanks hamburger for reassuring me.
hamburger Dec 08, 2005	your welcome
cartwheel_queen Dec 08, 2005	I when were they finshed.
cartwheel_queen Dec 08, 2005	When were they finshed
ceeyaaa Dec 08, 2005	easy
r_u_done Dec 08, 2005	I liked it. It was just hard enough to challenge me and made me feel smart when I got it.
hamburger Dec 08, 2005	Glad to hear it!
azbee123 Dec 08, 2005	i still don't understand the question... i mean... don't you have to put how long it took for both of them to finish the potatos??????
hamburger Dec 08, 2005	That wasnt the question asked.
don_antonini Dec 09, 2005	easy as abc indeed!!!
suganue Dec 09, 2005	That was extremely easy, but I LOVE MATH so any opportunity to play with numbers if fun.
precious1026 Dec 12, 2005	So What, I am not so good with Math problems. I did not see Christan's time, or his rate, subtracted from principle is his tally and the remaining is Gary's. Soooooooooo. What?????????
Amali Dec 14, 2005	I was so lost I didnt know where to start I guess Im not to good @t math good one though
__NK__Fire Dec 15, 2005	um yeah i kinda am not good at math, good one thoguh burger
shopaholic918 Dec 17, 2005	im not very good at math but that was a good one!! it was short and fun
miamor123 Dec 23, 2005	This teaser was way too easy.
tonjawithaj Apr 21, 2006	This rocked Hamburger! I LOVE word problems!
frostydino Apr 21, 2006	oh no! i misunderstood the question. Not that i would have got it anyway i suppose oh well it was good
calmsavior Nov 19, 2006	good one!
opqpop Sep 10, 2010	This is too easy. Gary peels 12 potatoes in 3 minutes, to there are 32 left when Christen comes along. Together, they peel 8 potatoes per minute, so it takes 4 minutes to finish the 32 remaining potatoes. Each minute, Christen peels 2 more than Gary, so at the end Christen has peeled 8 more than Gray out of the 32 potatoes. So Gary peeled (32 - / 2 = 12 and Christen peeled 32 - 12 = 20. Hence, the final answer is Gary: 12 + 12 = 24 and Christen: 20.