Can you figure out this brain teaser?
At an auction, a woman’s ring and a jewelry box with a hand-painted ceramic top are on sale for $200. The jewelry box is valued at $190 more than the ring. How much is the ring worth?
Answer:
If you said $10, you’d be incorrect!
Like most things in life, it’s not quite that simple.
This is a problem that requires setting up two equations with two unknowns to find the answer.
We know that the box (B) plus the ring (R) cost $200:
B + R = 200
The jewelry box is valued at $190 more than the ring. That is, the price of the box (B) is equal to the price of the ring (R) plus $190:
B = R + 190
Now we can substitute the right side of the second equation in the first equation and solve for R.
R + 190 + R = 200
2 R = 200 – 190
2 R = 10
R = 10/2
R = 5
Therefore, the ring is worth $5
The price of the box is $190 plus $5 which is $195, and the box plus the ring add up to $200. Everything checks out! This is a different spin on the famous Bat and a Ball Problem.