August 2022
Problem of the Month

Midnight the Cat
and Myrtle the Turtle

Show your work.

Solution:

The table is 150 cm tall.

Let x = height of the table
Let c = height of the cat (Midnight)
Let t = height of the turtle (Myrtle)

Then write two equations involving the three variables.
c + x - t = 170
t + x - c = 130

When you add the two equations together, the variables c and t drop out and you can solve for x, the height of the table.
2x = 300
x = 150 cm.

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K. Sengupta returns after almost 14 years and sent in this solution which shows that Midnight is 20 cm taller than Myrtle:
Let the respective heights of the cat, turtle and the table in cm be denoted by C, R, and T
Then, in terms of the two diagrams given, we must have :
T+C-R = 170 .......(i)
T-R+C =130...........(ii)
Adding (i) and (ii), we have:
2*T = 300, giving: T=150
Consequently, the table is 150 cm tall.
[Addenda:
Subtracting, (ii) from (i), we have:
2(C-R) = 40, so that C-R = 20
Ergo, Midnight (cat) is 20 cm taller than Myrtle(turtle)]

Correctly solved by:

1. Dr. Hari Kishan	D.N. College, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
2. Veena Mg	Bangalore, Karnataka, India
3. Davit Banana	Istanbul, Turkey
4. Colin (Yowie) Bowey	Beechworth, Victoria, Australia
5. K. Sengupta	Calcutta, India
6. Ritwik Chaudhuri	Santiniketan, West Bengal, India
7. Ivy Joseph	Pune, Maharashtra, India
8. Carolina Romero	Central High School, Grand Junction, Colorado
9. Kelly Stubblefield	Mobile, Alabama

Send any comments or questions to: David Pleacher