Can You Solve The Missing Dollar Math Problem?

This Sneaky Waiter puzzle seems impossible, but there is a solution! You just have to follow the money.

Created by Valerie Mack

On Feb 26, 2017

The problem goes like this: Three people eat at a restaurant. The bill comes to $30. They each pay $10.

The manager has overcharged the group, though. The bill should have been $25! He gives the waiter a 5 dollar bill to give to the guests.

Le oops!

But the group has already left!

The waiter starts to chase them out but realizes that he can't split a 5 dollar bill three ways. He gives each guest $1 and pockets the other $2 as his tip.

But wait! Something doesn't add up.

Each of the three guests paid $10 and then got $1 back. That means each guest paid $9. The waiter took $2 for a tip.

3 x 9 = 27 + 2 = 29.

Where is the missing dollar?

Where could it have gone?

Think for a moment.

You can figure this out!

Remember. Follow the money.

Scroll down for the solution.

Click to reveal the answer.

Get it now? You have follow the money, not the people.

The Missing Dollar Problem has taken many forms. It's been around for years and relies on an informal fallacy to trick you into counting the money wrong. In this case, the $2 dollars the waiter took as a tip was part of the money paid by the guests, so there was no reason to count it twice.

Do you see why you had to follow the money and not the people with this one?

How did you do?

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