Mathematics Education
Jim Wilson, EMAT 6600
A guy walks into a 7-11 store and
selects four items to buy. The clerk at the counter informs the
gentleman that the total cost of the four items is $7.11. He was
completely surprised that the cost was the same as the name of
the store. The clerk informed the man that he simply multiplied
the cost of each item and arrived at the total. The customer calmly
informed the clerk that the items should be added and not multiplied.
The clerk then added the items together and informed the
customer that the total was still exactly $7.11.
What are the exact costs of each item?
Note: I interpret the "exactly" and "exact"
to mean just that -- not "to the nearest penny." Find
a solution with this strict interpretation of "exactly?"