Can you solve this maths question meant for seven-year-olds?
A math question reportedly designed for 7-year-old school children has taken the internet by storm even after baffled parents struggled to solve the difficult problem. The question, from a Year 2 exam paper, challenges pupils to calculate how many passengers are on a train.
The question was posted by mother Louise Bloxham on Twitter, who lives in Bristol, England, reports The Sun. It prompted in a very lengthy debate about what the answer is and what’s the best way to work it out.
https://twitter.com/LouiseBloxham/status/729027334284709893
The question reads: “There are some people on a train. 19 people get off the train at the first stop. 17 people get on the train. Now there are 63 people on the train. How many people were on the train to begin with?”
After arriving at numerous different answers, the Twitter community determined that there were 65 people on the train to begin with.
Working backwards from, 63, we deduct the 17 new passengers and add again the 19 who got off the train, which leaves with 65, the original number of passengers on the train.
However, some claim that the real answer is 46 and the initial 19 passengers present a misleading red herring.
To confuse matters even further, Twitter user Louise Bloxham later commented, “if you think I the answer is 65 you would be wrong”, stating that the teachers who gave the test, the correct answer is actually 46.
Other answers given on Twitter include 61, 66 and zero; however, it was finally concluded that the correct answer was 65.
After the dust settled, a number of parents expressed resentment that such a complex question was given to 7-year-old children.
“That’s abstract thinking which hasn’t developed in children that age, still at concrete concepts,” one father wrote, according to the Sun.
“Children who can do math but struggle to read have no chance, whatever the answer,” another parent wrote. “Sickening.”
What abstract thinking? x-19+17=63
Not expected from u guys…
How do you guys no understand this?? It’s a great question. Think about it, it’s 46 because it’s asking for how many people there originally was. If the people total in the train originally is unknown but 19 get out, you’re subtracting 19 from x total. Then 17 come into the train after the stop. 19-17=2. After that consider this, if 19 were not trchnically originally in the train then 17 come in there is a 2 difference. So 63-19+2 then you get 46. Have to listen carefully to the details and understand that 19 isn’t really apart of the original amount in the train. If that makes sense?
Well note that they aked how many people were there originally
x = total people on the train
y = remaining people after 19 people get off
so
x – 19 = y
total people on the train X – 19 get off = remaining people on the train Y
17 people get on the train and end up with 63 people on the train
so
17 people + remain people on the train = 63
17 + y = 63
y= 63 – 17
y = 46
now we know the number that remain on the train after 19 people get off the train
so
x – 19 = y
x – 19 = 46
=> x = 46 + 19
x = 65
so the number of people on the train is 65
In short
X – 19 = Y
17 + Y = 63
Y = 63 – 17
=> Y = 46
X – 19 = Y
X – 19 = 46
X = 46 + 19
=> X = 65
???? Why the hell would you need to over complicate things like that? This is math for 7 year olds. VERY VERY simple, just go 63-17+19 BOOM correct answer!
I don’t get it. Is the point that the majority of Americans are idiots, the next pop of at the mouth spitting random lies, and the minority group sits back and laughs at the rest, withholding the information, laughing?
Because I didn’t say a word, I just laughed!!! My 19 month old could do this.
x=(19-17)+63
65 65 65
63-17+19=65
That’s because the question asked about the initial number so therefore to find that you have to subtract the new 17 from the new 63 and add back the old 19
Milo, the route could start with as many people as the train will hold if the passengers initially board along with the conductor.
But most trains are held in a holding area (at least where I come from) and I as the passenger am prohibited from going there, the conductor goes there to then drive it to the first stop for passenger pick up….unless you’re talking about a train that is switching routes (i.e. the central stop in a line of stops is the end of the first route, but the start of the 2nd route as the central stop is a city and is a major stop on multiple routes) in which case it can get even more confusing as to what “the beginning” is. 🙂