When does 2.1 + 4.2 + 3.0 + 3.2 = 13.2
and 13.2 is the correct answer to this addition problem?
Solution:
This is correct when the numbers represent the innings pitched in baseball. In baseball notation, 2.1 represents 2 and one-third innings.
Sorry! I know there will be some upset people. This week's problem
is more mathematical!!
But several people sent in some good
alternate solutions to last week's problem ... some tried different bases
(base three worked on the right-hand side of the decimal point but not
on the left); others used various conversion factors (two are mentioned below).
David Stark suggested the following:
2.1 Liters + 4.2 Liters + 3.0 Liters + 3.2 Liters = 13.2 Quarts
Using the conversion factor 1 liter = 1.056688 quarts,
12.5 liters = 12.5 * 1.056688 = 13.2086 quarts! Close enough!
Keith Mealy wrote:
2 drachm + 1 scruple
4 drachm + 2 scruples
3 drachm + 0 scruples
3 drachm + 2 scruples
--------------------
13 drachm + 2 scruples
Correctly solved by:
| 1. Walt Arrison | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 2. Christopher March | Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia |
| 3. David Stark | Winchester, Virginia |
| 4. Keith Mealy | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 5. John Beasley | Winchester, Virginia |
| 6. Daniel Foster | Winchester, Virginia |
| 7. Tony Cahill | Winchester, Virginia |
| 8. Ashleigh Mark | Columbus, Georgia |
| 9. Geoff Keith | Santa Monica, California |
| 10. Drew Chapman | Redondo Beach, California |