Braingle: 'Local Bus Company' Brain Teaser

Local Bus Company

Math brain teasers require computations to solve.

Puzzle ID:	#28950
Fun:	(2.73)
Difficulty:	(1.86)
Category:	Math
Submitted By:	Draw

My local bus company has recently expanded and no longer has enough room for all of its buses. Twelve of their buses have to be stored outside. If they decide to increase their garage space by 40%, this will give them enough room for all of their current buses, plus enough room to store another twelve in the future. How many buses does the company currently own?

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Comments

stm8r1 Mar 08, 2006	I got it but it made me think. Very good teaser, I like to see a new math teaser now and then. Thanks.
Swordoffury1392 Mar 24, 2006	I easily got it but I liked it nonetheless!
lmurray Apr 11, 2006	HEN HAO! FINALLY, SOMETHING TO MAKE ME THINK. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SUBMIT MORE.
coachpisco Apr 11, 2006	I guessed 60 buses. Math isn't my strong suit.
OldChinaHand Apr 11, 2006	Nice brainsmoker...I was also thinking 60, then remember the other 12. Try to use the calculator only confused my thinking. But thanks anyway.
brainster Apr 11, 2006	Nice one! I really had fun solving it!
winbob423 Apr 11, 2006	Great teaser! Finally one that really made me think.
bradon182001 Apr 11, 2006	Never was any good with math problems. Not my "cup of tea".
shawneeo Apr 11, 2006	I thought for sure I had this one, but no, I also didn't take the extra ones into account. I don't in general like Math Teasers, that's just me, it's not my strongest skill, although I respect Mathematics A LOT!!!!! One thing that's not a critique of the teaser at all, when I'm on the PC, I don't have any place to work a prob. out on paper with a pencil, and it doesn't help much to try to do it on notepad or the PC calc., so that's another reason I'm not crazy bout them, but that's OK, THANKS for the teaser!
thimblenoggin Apr 11, 2006	Somehow I got that without the calculator. My lucky day!
feste Apr 11, 2006	I still don't get it. A print out of the formula would have been nice for a math illiterate like me.
ishouldntbehere Apr 11, 2006	it was ok, but i think math questions are a little less creative and.... not very fun. it was put together very well, but i dont think it belongs on braingle, maybe like a saxon math book or something.
windexnodrip Apr 11, 2006	GrEaT JoB!!!! you got me there-- took me a while to figure it out!!!
windexnodrip Apr 11, 2006
rachellanders Apr 11, 2006	That was a great one!! I LOVE math! It's my FAVORITE subject! I would love it if there were more math problems, especially ones that make you think (which this one did).
octavian420 Apr 11, 2006	Love the math! This actually can be solved quite easily without paper or a calculator: Because incresing the current garge space by 40% allows for 24 additional buses, 40% of the garage space = 24. So 10% of the garage space = 6 (dividing by 4). Therefore 100% of the garage space = 60 (multiplying by 10). This means that the current fleet is comprised of 72 buses.
Vigo95 Apr 11, 2006	this is what i did 24/x = 40/100 2400 = 40x 60 = x 60 + 12 = 72
robinmckenzie Apr 11, 2006	I have to say I was very touched by the story of poor shawneeo who isn't able to use a pencil and paper at the same time as a PC. That must really suck.
Aqua72 Apr 11, 2006	Good One. 40% of the Original # is the 24. Original # times 40% = 24. Original # = 24 / 40% (or .40). Original # = 60.
Aqua72 Apr 11, 2006	Oops, forgot to add: Original # plus 12 = 72!
iteachkids Apr 11, 2006	UCH! My brain hurts!!! I tried to come up with a mathematical way to figure this, but I guess my algebra training is in my too-distant past. ThanxaMILLION to you "MATH MAJORS" for showing us how you did it! Maybe next time ...
banzai Apr 11, 2006	I also enjoy some math teasers. This was very good. Thank you.
okiehomely Apr 11, 2006	I was disappointed with this one (too easy). One of my granddaughters asked me to teach her algebra after the third grade, and she could solve this one.
tdbrsun Apr 11, 2006	I guess my Math is in need of re- learning! So send more of these for me to re -learn! I didn't have time for my poor brain to solve this one today but, probably would have sooner or later!
thumper690sbaby Apr 11, 2006	I love math and this one was great!! Thank you for posting it!! Pam
formation007 Apr 11, 2006	Just basic simultaneous equations... took a whole minute and a half this time to work it out. The only bit that invovled me thinking was when i put the question from words into 2 simultaneous equations. y is the garage space in buses that can be fitted into it and x is how many buses it currently owns and the answer. the 2 equations are... y = x - 12 and 1.4y = x + 12. From these simulatenous equations you can see that y is 60. Therefore the garage space is 60 buses that can be fitted while x is 72. Therfeore, there are 72 buses overall...
lindquist_25 Apr 11, 2006	I don't really get it right now. This is what I'm thinking -Okay, if 12 have to be stored outside and then there will be room for 24 with the addition, that means that 12 busses are only 20 percent of all the busses. 12x5=60, and since you don't have the other 12 busses yet, you don't currently own 72. -Okay that's what I'm thinking right now but hey, I'm only in 7th grade so I'm not great at math. If someone would please explain it to me, that'd be awesome!!
kboardma Apr 11, 2006	Loved it - brought out the old 'algebra' brain. And we thought we'd never use this stuff in real life. My formula was 1.4X = X + 12 + 12 (although I almost forgot the additional 12 that were outside). Thanks for making my brain work!
ponygirl Apr 11, 2006	I thought the math was a little different than what I am used to!!!
benjam Apr 11, 2006	My mom also made the same mistake that most of you made... or almost made. She forgot to add the aditianal (please correct me if I spell the previous word wrong!!!) 12 busses. I agree with that person that said it was easy and could be done without pencil, paper, or calculator. Sorry, I don't have very good short term momory.
octavian420 Apr 11, 2006	lindquist 25 -- you're absolutely right that the garage can house 60 buses. you have to remember, though, that the garage is full with 12 more buses sitting outside -- so you currently have 72. when you expand the garage and add an additional 12, you'll have 84 buses total. no biggie -- seems a lot of people forgot to add the 12 buses back in
hockeygirl Apr 11, 2006	wow i was waayyy off i thought it was 16!
mercenary007 Apr 11, 2006	lol that was way too easy...
vlerma Apr 12, 2006	I was brain dead. Normally I could have figured this out but somehow the more I figured the more confused I got. Finally just quit and looked at the answer. Made sense then so maybe I will be able to use my algebra next time. I used to be really good at it. Sorry! Nice job tho.
highway101 Apr 12, 2006	Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Word problems are always the worst. My grandson is in the second grade and he figured it out before I did. Good one. Do more.
(user deleted) Apr 12, 2006	i got it!! it was easy and i didn't use the calculator.. ^.^
RRAMMOHAN Apr 12, 2006	A simple teaser, very cleverly worded! The no. 12 appears twice in the problem, and this is a deliberate red herring to confuse solvers. A good one. Loved it.