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B _ F _ R _ Clue
IF YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE PRICE OF THE APPLES ON THE FIRST DAY, IT IS $25 DIVIDED BY 60, OR 412⁄3 CENTS PER APPLE. WHEN THE WOMEN SELL THE APPLES AT 5 FOR $2 ON THE SECOND DAY, THEY ARE ONLY CHARGING 40 CENTS PER APPLE. THE DECREASE IN PRICE OF 12⁄3 CENTS PER APPLE FOR 60 APPLES ACCOUNTS FOR THE MISSING DOLLAR. HERE IS A ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THIS. ON THE SECOND DAY, EVERY TIME 5 APPLES ARE SOLD FOR $2, LET US ASSUME THAT THE FIRST WOMAN TAKES $1 AND GIVES 2 APPLES AND THE SECOND WOMAN TAKES $1 AND GIVES 3 APPLES. THIS WAY THE FIRST WOMAN SELLS 24 APPLES AND SECOND ONE SELLS 36 APPLES FOR $12 EACH. THIS MEANS THAT THE 6 APPLES OF THE FIRST WOMAN HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE SECOND WOMAN AT A LOSS OF $1. IF THE FIRST WOMAN SOLD THE 6 APPLES, SHE WOULD HAVE MADE $3. BUT SINCE THE SECOND WOMAN SOLD THE 6 APPLES, SHE WOULD HAVE ONLY MADE $2. $3 - $2 = $1, THE LOSS THEY INCURRED COMPARED TO BEFORE HE HAD 15 EGGS. THE FIRST PERSON BOUGHT HALF OF THE 15 EGGS WHICH IS 7½ EGGS AND ANOTHER ½ EGG. SO HE BOUGHT 8 EGGS IN TOTAL AND JACK IS LEFT WITH 7 EGGS. THE SECOND PERSON BOUGHT HALF OF THE REMAINING 7 EGGS WHICH IS 3½ EGGS AND ANOTHER ½ EGG. SO HE BOUGHT 4 EGGS AND JACK IS LEFT WITH 3 EGGS. THE LAST PERSON BOUGHT HALF OF THE REMAINING 3 EGGS WHICH IS 1½ EGGS AND ANOTHER ½ EGG. SO THE LAST PERSON BOUGHT 2 EGGS. THAT LEAVES 1 EGG REMAINING IN JACK'S BASKET THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE QUESTION IS CLEVERLY PHRASED TO CAUSE CONFUSION. THE BALANCE TOTAL DOES NOT NEED TO BE EQUAL TO THE WITHDRAWAL TOTAL. AND IN THIS CASE, THE BALANCE TOTAL WILL NOT ADD UP TO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL. LET'S SAY YOU HAVE $100 IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AND YOU MAKE 2 WITHDRAWALS OF $1 EACH. THE WITHDRAWAL TOTAL IS $2 ($1 + $1). BUT THE BALANCE TOTAL IS $197 ($99 + $98) THURSDAY. LET'S BREAK IT DOWN: "TODAY WILL BE AS FAR FROM WEDNESDAY AS TODAY WAS FROM WEDNESDAY" MEANS TODAY IS WEDNESDAY. "WHEN THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY" REFERS TO FRIDAY AND TUESDAY RESPECTIVELY. "THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY WAS TOMORROW" REFERS TO MONDAY AND THURSDAY RESPECTIVELY. SO TOMORROW IS THURSDAY