How Many Campers?
Math brain teasers require computations to solve.
Camp Pineveiw's cook, Margaret Johnson, was just about to begin preparing the picnic lunch for all the campers. She already knew she needed to fill 55 bowls of the same size and capacity with the same amount of food. When she was done, she decided to read the guidelines for the picnic, just out of curiosity. The guidelines said:
1. Every camper gets their own bowl of soup.
2. Every two campers will get one bowl of spaghetti to share.
3. Every three campers will get one bowl of salad to share.
4. All campers are required to have their own helping of salad, spaghetti, and soup.
After some rapid calculations, Margaret was able to figure out how many campers were going to the picnic. Can you?
HintIf there were only six campers, there would be six bowls of soup, three bowls of spaghetti, and two bowls of salad.
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Comments
tpg76  
Oct 13, 2008
| An easy way to think about it: each camper gets 1 + 1/2 + 1/3 bowls, or 1-5/6, or 11/6. x times 11/6 = 55; 55 times 6/11 = x = 30. |
Vivica 
Oct 14, 2008
| I solved it by doing
x + x/2 + x/3 = 55
which leads to
3x + 1,5x + x = 165
that's
5,5x = 165
Easy as pie!  |
pzakielarz
Oct 14, 2008
| I don't understand rule #4. "their own helping" seems to imply the portions are to be served separately, but the description makes it clear that all bowls are filled with the same amount of food, and each person is only rationed 1/2 bowl of spaghetti, and 1/3 bowl of salad. I think if you remove rule #4 what is being asked becomes clearer. |
markmonnin
Oct 14, 2008
| A fun teaser . All #4 means is that the case is simplified... everybody has every food prepared for them. |
Gerrard10
Oct 19, 2008
| A pretty goon one, you have to think at first at the calculator is usually necassary, but it was fun! |
kk_lovebug 
Oct 24, 2008
| i just kept goin up by numbers divisible by 2 and 3 and i got it right! |
kingofda808
Nov 03, 2008
| good one!! |
bradon182001
Nov 14, 2008
| Math is not my favorite thing, but this one was fun. Thanks for posting.  |
104archer
Nov 14, 2008
| I got so hungry reading the quiz that I ate two shares of food. Does that mean the answer is only 29 |
cheesepie
Nov 14, 2008
| wow my school is called Pine View and there's a Margeret Johnson |
doehead 
Nov 14, 2008
| Once I got my brain calculater going, it was pretty easy. But still a great math riddle.  |
emu77alu02
Nov 14, 2008
| That was good! When I saw that the hint for 6 people made 11 bowls, it was easy to just multiply 6 by 5 (since 11x5=55), and there's your answer. Nice teaser! |
Jimmymo 
Nov 14, 2008
| Piece o' cake. but very fun!
55/1.8333333=30 |
auntiesis
Nov 14, 2008
| Cool, finally a teaser for us math fans.  |
mi2mo2tx
Nov 14, 2008
| Honestly didn't get the answer from the clues. Checked the hint and saw that 6 campers need 11 bowls. The cook prepared 55 bowls therefore 6X5= the solution.
Good teaser! |
kauphi1976
Nov 14, 2008
| tat was easy ! decided to ignore #4 since i didnt understand tat one .. love camping but we usually have gourmet cuisine and no sharing bowls ;-) |
leroy_h
Nov 14, 2008
| --I GOT LOST BETWEEN THE SPAGHETTI AND THE SALAD..... |
lucy_i
Nov 14, 2008
| Sorry I got food craving too, so archer and I may have messed up the answer  |
Johnny
Nov 17, 2008
| I love math problems.
I guessed the answer, checked it, and got it right the first time!!!  |
guelmik
Dec 28, 2008
| At first I did not understand and keep getting the wrong answers. If I didn't read the hint, I would not have figured out that I would first use proportion. It was fun though |
javaguru
Dec 31, 2008
| OK teaser, but just a very basic algebra question. Not sure why this is one of the most popular teasers. |
sammydj
Mar 13, 2009
| trial & error |
Paladin
Mar 13, 2009
| C = # of campers = unknown
B = # of bowls = 55
B = C + 1/2C + 1/3C
55 = C + 1/2C + 1/3C
6(55) = 6C + 3C + 2C
330 = 11C
30 = C
Great puzzle! |
dalfamnest 
Feb 01, 2010
| A good challenge, written in a fun context. Thanks - that's why it's one of the more popular ones! |
Markedwardschr
Jun 11, 2011
| So many comment written about braingle company in the world.
_______________________
mark.
caravan parks |
gaylewolf
Nov 14, 2011
| I like camping and I like food. Beyond that, I was lost. Have a simply wonderful day friends!  |
HABS2933
Nov 14, 2011
| Quite simple to figure out, but quite enjoyable. |
doehead
Nov 14, 2011
| Still easy.  |
Inventor
Jul 14, 2012
| Pretty easy to get, I literally got it in 3 minutes.... |
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