Elementary Question

[3141592654]

Troy read 314 books. Mike also read books. If Mike had read 68 fewer books, he would have read the same number of book as Troy. How many books did Mike read?

 

[Dr.Peterson]

Because you haven't told us anything about your own thinking, I can't tell what to suggest.

You might want to draw a picture of two piles of books. One has 314 books. The other is bigger; if you took 68 books away from it, it would be the same size as the first.

Can you see how to find the size of that second pile?

 

[3141592654]

Sorry I don't have a picture. This is a word problem question from my son's text book so I think it is very straight forward. We think the answer should be 314+68 = 382 but the answer from the book is 314-68=246. Was it just us think that or did I missed something? Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 4993]

Sorry I don't have a picture. This is a word problem question from my son's text book so I think it is very straight forward. We think the answer should be 314+68 = 382 but the answer from the book is 314-68=246. Was it just us think that or did I missed something? Thanks.

According to your post - your logic and answer are CORRECT. "Book answer" is wrong.

 

[Dr.Peterson]

Sorry I don't have a picture. This is a word problem question from my son's text book so I think it is very straight forward. We think the answer should be 314+68 = 382 but the answer from the book is 314-68=246. Was it just us think that or did I missed something? Thanks.

This is part of the reason we ask you to show your work as well as the problem. If you had initially told us your answer, and why you think you are wrong, we could have answered immediately! You are right, and the book is wrong.

Yes, it is very straightforward (or straight backward, I suppose, since you are undoing a subtraction!).

And you can check each answer to confirm which is correct.

If Mike read 246 books, then if he had read 68 fewer, it would be 178, not 314. So they are wrong.

If Mike read 382 books, then if he had read 68 fewer, it would be 314. So you are right.

It's a valuable lesson to learn: sometimes you are right and the world (or at least some authority) is wrong. Your son will benefit from learning this; and this sort of check is one way to learn it. Even a child can say "the emperor has no clothes". And even the author of a book (or the poorly paid assistant who writes the answers) can have a bad day.

 

[HallsofIvy]

Troy read 314 books. Mike also read books. If Mike had read 68 fewer books, he would have read the same number of book as Troy. How many books did Mike read?

If Mike had read 68 fewer books he would have read 314. So he read 68 more than 314. What is that?