Answer to the February 24, 2003 Problem of the Week

Arithmetrivia

• Home
• Meet Mr. P
• What's New
• Humor
• Lesson Plans
• Quotes
• Links
• Puzzles & Games
• Problem of the Month
• Math Facts
• Poetry
• Videos

You will need to know some trivial facts (which you can easily look up), and then follow the instructions very carefully!

	Clue	Answer
A	How many amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights? Write this number in the box to the right.
B	Multiply answer A by the number of items in a baker's dozen.
C	Shoplifting is sometimes referred to as taking a "____-finger discount." Divide answer B by this number.
D	Suppose Z = 1, Y = 2, X = 3, and so on to B = 25 and A = 26. Add up the letters in COMPUTATION, and find the product of this sum and answer C.
E	Every Fall, most of the U.S. changes from day-light savings time back to standard time. If this means turning the clock ahead one hour, subtract 657 from answer D. If this means turning the clock back one hour, add 565 to answer D.
F	SET FOR ENVY is an anagram of a number. Divide answer E by this number.
G	Double the length of answer F by writing its digit twice, one set after the other (for example, 604 would become 604,604).
H	Multiply answer G by the total number of dollars you'd have if you had three sawbucks and four fins.
I	Remove the digit from the tens place in answer H and replace it between the first and second digits of the same answer. Your new answer should have the same number of digits that you started with.
J	After adding 10 to answer I, divide by the number of letters in the capital city of Turkey.
K	If the Redskins won the Super Bowl in 2002, subtract 4,240 from answer J and find 2/89 of the difference; if the Redskins did not win, add 1,370 to answer J and take 1/37 of this sum.
L	Drop the last two digits of answer K. This number should equal three times the atomic number of the element nitrogen.

Send in your answers to A through L.

 

Solution to the Problem:

	Clue	Answer
A	How many amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights? Write this number in the box to the right.	10
B	Multiply answer A by the number of items in a baker's dozen.	10 (answer A) x 13 (baker's dozen) = 130
C	Shoplifting is sometimes referred to as taking a "____-finger discount." Divide answer B by this number.	130 (answer B) / 5 (five-finger discount) = 26
D	Suppose Z = 1, Y = 2, X = 3, and so on to B = 25 and A = 26. Add up the letters in COMPUTATION, and find the product of this sum and answer C.	150 (24 + 12 + 14 + 11 + 6 + 7 + 26 + 7 + 18 + 12 + 13) x 26 (answer C) = 3,900
E	Every Fall, most of the U.S. changes from day-light savings time back to standard time. If this means turning the clock ahead one hour, subtract 657 from answer D. If this means turning the clock back one hour, add 565 to answer D.	3,900 (answer D) + 565 = 4,465
F	SET FOR ENVY is an anagram of a number. Divide answer E by this number.	4,465 (answer E) / 47 (anagram) = 95
G	Double the length of answer F by writing its digit twice, one set after the other (for example, 604 would become 604,604).	9,595
H	Multiply answer G by the total number of dollars you'd have if you had three sawbucks and four fins.	50 (3 $10 bills + 4 $5 bills) x 9,595 = 479,750
I	Remove the digit from the tens place in answer H and replace it between the first and second digits of the same answer. Your new answer should have the same number of digits that you started with.	457,970
J	After adding 10 to answer I, divide by the number of letters in the capital city of Turkey.	10 + 457,970 (answer I) = 457,980 / 6 (Ankara) = 76,330
K	If the Redskins won the Super Bowl in 2002, subtract 4,240 from answer J and find 2/89 of the difference; if the Redskins did not win, add 1,370 to answer J and take 1/37 of this sum.	76,330 (answer J) + 1,370 (false) = 77,700; 77,700 / 37 = 2,100
L	Drop the last two digits of answer K. This number should equal three times the atomic number of the element nitrogen.	21 = 7 (atomic number) x 3