That shit drove me insane. You'd think they would vet the questions better. I spent more time trying to understand what it was they wanted solved than actually solving it. Once that was clear finding the answers took no time.
It's a trick question. Tracey purposely asks for "the remaining quarter", which is inherently unclear. She then exploits Rachel's confusion to run off with all 16 chocolate bars.
People like Tracey should be behind bars (pun not intended).
The wording doesn't make the question confusing, the wording is incorrect in the English language. The "remaining quarter" implies only a quarter (4) remains of the original total (16) after the described transactions. It should say she asks for "a quarter of the remaining".
The 'remaining' quarter means a quarter of what is remaining of Rachel's pile. The phrasing is odd but there really isn't any way to misconstrue it without turning the meaning into nonsense that you can't do math on.
It absolutely is 1/4th of what remains. Rachel will be left with 9 and Tracey will have 7. They're not going to say 'what remains of the quarter tracy took' because it's nonsensical. Tracy took a quarter so there's nothing that remains of the quarter tracy took. they're not going to mean 'there is only one quarter left and tracy takes It' either, because that also is nonsense. The only meaning that makes any possible sense, then, is 'tracy takes one quarter of what remains', which is 12/4 = 3. Tracy takes 3, that's the only answer that makes logical sense.
It does say "remaining quarter" which is definitely meant to be a quarter of what's left. With word problems, you generally follow the order the statements are made. So your first assumption is correct.
16-4=12
Rachel is left with twelve bars, which we need for the next part of the statement.
12/4=3
Tracey asks for a "remaining quarter" and thus takes three.
4+3=7
Tracey now has 7 bars.
It's just a terribly phrased sentence. Appropriately worded and still coded correctly, it should say something like:
Rachel has sixteen chocolate bars. Tracey takes four from her and then asks for a quarter of what remains.
But that's not what is being asked. What you're talking about is a quarter of the remaining candy. What they're asking is "the remaining quarter" implying what she has left is a quarter of what she originally had.
Meaning she must've had 48 before everyone started stealing her candy.
33 Comments
luthis@lemmy.nz · 127 pts · 25d
What?
Tracey takes 4 from Rachel. Tracey now has 4, or 1 quarter, Rachel has now 12, or 3 quarters.
Tracey asks for the remaining quarter.
..what 'remaining' quarter?
Tracey should get a slap because they obviously don't know what a quarter is.
miseducator@lemmy.world · 72 pts · 25d
Yeah, should be something along the lines of "... asks for a quarter of the remaining chocolate bars". Or maybe not. Who knows?
dalekcaan@feddit.nl · 37 pts · 25d
This sounds like some SAT "make questions harder by making them more confusing" bullshit.
Shizzymcjizzles@fedinsfw.app · 8 pts · 25d
That shit drove me insane. You'd think they would vet the questions better. I spent more time trying to understand what it was they wanted solved than actually solving it. Once that was clear finding the answers took no time.
Trampampoline@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 24d
Wait until no one is proofreading Ai tests.
If Tom has four apples and Jeff is invisible, how far is it to Perth Australia?
rustydrd@sh.itjust.works · 16 pts · 25d
It's a trick question. Tracey purposely asks for "the remaining quarter", which is inherently unclear. She then exploits Rachel's confusion to run off with all 16 chocolate bars.
People like Tracey should be behind bars (pun not intended).
SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social · 12 pts · 25d
While we are at it, the teacher needs a slap too.
That was obviously the correct answer.
AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 24d
OK, start with 16 and she takes 4, so you have 12 left.
Now of that 12 she wants a quarter of them, 1/4 x 12 = 3.
Add that 3 to the 4 she took at the start and you have 7 total.
The wording makes the question confusing.
Leviathan@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 24d
The wording doesn't make the question confusing, the wording is incorrect in the English language. The "remaining quarter" implies only a quarter (4) remains of the original total (16) after the described transactions. It should say she asks for "a quarter of the remaining".
cantaloup@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 25d
Maybe it's like Tracey ends up with 4 chocolate bars and ¢25
Abyssian@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 24d
The quarter wasn't about candy, Rachel slings all types of dope.
thermal_shock@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 24d
A quarter is 25% of anything. If she has 12 left, 25% is 3.
luthis@lemmy.nz · 9 pts · 24d
Yes but that isn't a remaining quarter. That's another quarter.
thermal_shock@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 24d
Yes. It's worded very strange.
JayDee@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 24d
The 'remaining' quarter means a quarter of what is remaining of Rachel's pile. The phrasing is odd but there really isn't any way to misconstrue it without turning the meaning into nonsense that you can't do math on.
luthis@lemmy.nz · 7 pts · 24d
A quarter of the remaining total ≠ the remaining quarter
JayDee@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 24d
It absolutely is 1/4th of what remains. Rachel will be left with 9 and Tracey will have 7. They're not going to say 'what remains of the quarter tracy took' because it's nonsensical. Tracy took a quarter so there's nothing that remains of the quarter tracy took. they're not going to mean 'there is only one quarter left and tracy takes It' either, because that also is nonsense. The only meaning that makes any possible sense, then, is 'tracy takes one quarter of what remains', which is 12/4 = 3. Tracy takes 3, that's the only answer that makes logical sense.
ThatGuy46475@lemmy.world · 89 pts · 25d
Which one is “she?”
“The” remaining quarter?
Was this from an 1865 voter registration test?
Nikko882@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 25d
It may feel like those should be from 1865, but those tests were only outlawed in 1965. It was not that long ago.
rustydrd@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 25d
Illustrating once more that "English" is to "language" what "Pluto" is to "planet".
TheWordBotcher@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 24d
English is a dwarf language?
deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 4 pts · 24d
It's three dwarf languages in a trench coat
LodeMike@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 24d
You can do this exact same thing in Spanish
cockmushroom@reddthat.com · 1 pts · 24d
Every language supports syntax that is semantically unstable.
miseducator@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 25d
qualia@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 25d
16-4 = 12
12/4 = 3
4+3 = 7
So the answer should've been a slap and 7 bars.
taiyang@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 25d
That solution assumes it's a quarter of the remaining bars. How is worded, it could be 4 more bars she wants, making it half the bars at that point.
It's badly worded, and deserves a slap.
dadGPT@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 25d
1 slap for 7 bars is a deal
voidsignal@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 25d
After giving the slap I take all the bars. So long, loser.
yermaw@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 25d
The Eminem Solution
itrealgood@mander.xyz · 16 pts · 25d
Johanno@feddit.org · 10 pts · 25d
A slap is correct.
Then follow up with the unclear task.
First answer is 16 - 4 = 12 12 /4 = 3 3+4=7
However it could also mean that 16/4 =4 and then 4+0 =4
Or you could also understand that Tracey wants 3 quarters so she would have 12
capt_wolf@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 25d
It does say "remaining quarter" which is definitely meant to be a quarter of what's left. With word problems, you generally follow the order the statements are made. So your first assumption is correct.
16-4=12
Rachel is left with twelve bars, which we need for the next part of the statement.
12/4=3
Tracey asks for a "remaining quarter" and thus takes three.
4+3=7
Tracey now has 7 bars.
It's just a terribly phrased sentence. Appropriately worded and still coded correctly, it should say something like:
boonhet@sopuli.xyz · 0 pts · 24d
But that's not what is being asked. What you're talking about is a quarter of the remaining candy. What they're asking is "the remaining quarter" implying what she has left is a quarter of what she originally had.
Meaning she must've had 48 before everyone started stealing her candy.
Antares@fedinsfw.app · 9 pts · 25d
Why did Rachel have 48 chocolate bars?