General Discussion

Oneironaut

(5,486 posts)

36. That information is not given, so the only possibility is that Marty's pizza is bigger.

Mon Mar 28, 2016, 04:03 PM

Mar 2016

The question tells you that Marty ate more pizza, but the percent he ate was lower. There's no possible way his pizza could be the same size as the other one. This is a question that tests the student's ability to determine scale.

The question makes perfect sense as is. This is either fake or the teacher had major brain-fart. It is not a trick question at all. The basis of the question is, "How can something have a lower percentage of it taken away than something else, but still have more in total taken away?" It's because the item has to be bigger.

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The Internet is losing its mind about this confusing pizza math problem [View all] GummyBearz Mar 2016 OP

That teacher is unfit to teach math and shoud be fired. Like, right now. DetlefK Mar 2016 #1

That is a smart kid, of course that is the only answer. Rex Mar 2016 #2

The student had a clever answer, but it seems the correct answer was "it's not possible" arcane1 Mar 2016 #3

Of course its possible philosslayer Mar 2016 #7

Yep, in fact it is the teacher that is wrong. Rex Mar 2016 #10

Wow. Android3.14 Mar 2016 #52

Yes, you are missing the key element, pizza is not a one size fits all and the teacher Rex Mar 2016 #61

The teacher didn't write the question Puddleglum Mar 2016 #68

No. The question as stated doesn't give the student that option; besides, if one pizza is larger, tblue37 Mar 2016 #76

Wouldn't there be an answer key for a test like this that the teacher would be using? n/t PoliticAverse Mar 2016 #4

Marty's was a deep dish, Luis ate the thin crust . . . Journeyman Mar 2016 #5

I get around such ambiguities by always ordering the largest pizza available and... stone space Mar 2016 #6

This is the correct answer... cyberswede Mar 2016 #69

Marty and Luis are the same person. Orrex Mar 2016 #8

Luis got drunk and Marty bogarted one of his slices when he went for another beer Major Nikon Mar 2016 #12

I say the kid learned an extremely valuable lesson Major Nikon Mar 2016 #9

So depressing on so many levels GummyBearz Mar 2016 #18

When you master that concept BernieforPres2016 Mar 2016 #41

That level of bullshit is stacked much higher Major Nikon Mar 2016 #58

That's pretty much it pokerfan Mar 2016 #43

This message was self-deleted by its author DUbeornot2be Mar 2016 #77

Marty! Stop eating other people's pizza! struggle4progress Mar 2016 #11

The kid and a friend should bring pizzas and demonstrate. Jerry442 Mar 2016 #13

A pizza in Hand is worth two in the weed pintobean Mar 2016 #14

The question was written incorrectly. How is this possible is the wrong question to ask. haele Mar 2016 #15

Complete nonsense anigbrowl Mar 2016 #19

Sigh. We're talking about the same process here, just from different perspectives. haele Mar 2016 #44

FWIW cemaphonic Mar 2016 #50

About 50% overcast here in San Luis Obispo. From which I obviously conclude that petronius Mar 2016 #57

How does "Reasonableness" apply in that context? arcane1 Mar 2016 #51

Fail on the test wording... Wounded Bear Mar 2016 #16

The fail is on your part anigbrowl Mar 2016 #20

No... Wounded Bear Mar 2016 #23

No it isn't, because the fact that pizza comes in different sizes is common knowledge anigbrowl Mar 2016 #26

But if the question was changed it would explicitly state that they are the same size. DesMoinesDem Mar 2016 #28

Or it might state that they were eating hot dogs instead of pizza, or... anigbrowl Mar 2016 #30

What the person you were responding to was discussing was changing the wording DesMoinesDem Mar 2016 #33

You're darn right I'm freaking out about that anigbrowl Mar 2016 #39

The teacher didn't write the question Puddleglum Mar 2016 #67

That is some really deep thinking.... GummyBearz Mar 2016 #71

you should try it sometime Puddleglum Mar 2016 #78

Try what exactly? GummyBearz Mar 2016 #79

You are really invested in this aren't you? Wounded Bear Mar 2016 #29

Yes, I am invested in helping you to understand this. anigbrowl Mar 2016 #31

Ummm, OK Wounded Bear Mar 2016 #48

That information is not given, so the only possibility is that Marty's pizza is bigger. Oneironaut Mar 2016 #36

It's possible that Marty also ate the final 1/6 of Luis' pizza ... CaptainTruth Mar 2016 #17

Occam's razor allows us to ignore such possibilities anigbrowl Mar 2016 #21

It's not a math question, it's a logic question. nt TeamPooka Mar 2016 #22

You should write a letter to the author of the article, I just copy/pasted it. n/t GummyBearz Mar 2016 #24

It's just a hard-assed teacher ... Whiskeytide Mar 2016 #25

Nope anigbrowl Mar 2016 #27

On further consideration, you're right... Whiskeytide Mar 2016 #81

That Marty ate more pizza than Luis is part of the "given" in this problem. Chiyo-chichi Mar 2016 #35

Thank you anigbrowl Mar 2016 #40

For some questions (though not this one), "it's not possible" WOULD be the correct answer. Jim Lane Mar 2016 #62

it is am easy question Marrah_G Mar 2016 #32

A pizza bigger by more than the square root of the larger ratio over the lower ratio is correct. Festivito Mar 2016 #34

There can only be one correct answer - the student's. Oneironaut Mar 2016 #37

Option2: It's all relative; "pizza" doesn't necessarily mean a whole pie. JudyM Mar 2016 #38

I am reminded of a Yogi Berra quote BernieforPres2016 Mar 2016 #42

Godamn it, I was going to post this....only it's 6 and 8. nt msanthrope Mar 2016 #46

Since the problem didn't specify the size of the pizzas, the question is flawed. Avalux Mar 2016 #45

No......it just makes it a logic question. nt msanthrope Mar 2016 #47

Not at all anigbrowl Mar 2016 #82

DAMN you for making me hungry at this hour!! yuiyoshida Mar 2016 #49

Pretty sure that people who believe the student is wrong ThoughtCriminal Mar 2016 #53

I beg anyone unable to recognize why the student is correct Android3.14 Mar 2016 #54

... GummyBearz Mar 2016 #56

my second grader d_r Mar 2016 #55

Marty's older than Luis. So he's been eating pizza longer. That's why he's eaten more! struggle4progress Mar 2016 #59

Ha! Codeine Mar 2016 #60

which weighs more? A ton of feathers or a ton of bricks? Takket Mar 2016 #63

depends FreedomRain Mar 2016 #66

The teacher's answer assumes that the pizzas are the LibDemAlways Mar 2016 #64

Or maybe there's only one pizza involved. Jim Lane Mar 2016 #65

Then again, if someone ate an entire pizza, it is a true statement that he ate 4/6ths of a pizza Recursion Mar 2016 #70

Marty's pizza was bigger? 6000eliot Mar 2016 #72

OMG! A teacher got it wrong. threethirteen Mar 2016 #73

I have taught before as well GummyBearz Mar 2016 #80

If you can't get simple things like that right you're in the wrong job anigbrowl Mar 2016 #83

Am I the only one who thinks this whole thing may be a fraud? NobodyHere Mar 2016 #74

Since the question states that Marty ate more than Luis, the student has no choice but to tblue37 Mar 2016 #75