Joan and Maria earn money by babysitting If Joan earns twice as much as Maria and the two girls earn a total of 40 dollars how much does Maria earn?

Answer 1

*This faux-algebra problem does not have a correct answer because it was designed to provide only a "none of the above" answer. The result yields a value in thirds of a cent, which cannot be paid in actual money.

However, the answer is that Maria earns thirteen dollars and thirty-three and one-third cents ($13.33 1/3 or $13.333 to 3 decimal places).

The algebraic equation

M = money Maria is paid

2(M) = money Joan was paid

M + 2M = 40

3M = 40

and M = 13.333

If we chop a penny into thirds, Maria gets 13.33 and a third while Joan gets twice that, 26.66 and two thirds, and the total of these is 40 dollars. Chopping up a coin, however, is technically illegal in the United States.

If instead the total figure used was evenly divisible by 3, you could compute the payments exactly. For example, if their total pay was 60 dollars (3M=60), Marie would have earned 20 dollars, Joan would have earned 40 dollars (twice as much) and their total, obviously, is 60 dollars.