How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

[joed]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

You mis read the question.

T=H + B = 10 + B
B=H + T = 10 + T


T=10 + (10+T) = 20+T Impossible
B=10 + (10+B) = 20+ B impossible

There is no answer unless maybe it is ablow fish that can change the size of its body.

Me too, but I had to work out the correct answer after finding out how to solve the problem.

Set up equations from what is given in the problem: H = Head; T = Tail; B = Body

H = 10
T = H + 1/2B But he said head = tail plus body not half the body
B = H + T
Total Length of the Fish = H + T + B

Substitute between equations.

If we know H = 10 then we can substitute 10 in for H in the second equation.
T = 10 + 1/2B
Now we know what T and H are, so lets substitute that into the third equation and solve for B.

B = H + T
B = 10 + (10 + 1/2B)
B = 20 + 1/2B
Then subtract 1/2B from both sides:
1/2B = 20
Multiply both sides by two:
B = 40
Now we know the value of B and the value of H. Substitute this back into the second equation and solve for T.
T = H + 1/2B
T = 10 + (1/2)40
T = 10 + 20 = 30

Plug all values of H, T, and B into the final equation.

Total length of fish = H + T + B
Total length of fish = 10 + 30 + 40 = 80

 

[sasto]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

T = H + 1/2B

I don't see anything that says this in the riddle, Don.

Stated as...T=H+B......I swear I must be missing something if not. I didn't just get off the boat yesterday, on second thought...I did.

 

[Cofe]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

The answer must be...

"It was this LONG!"

 

[StevNimrod]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

30"

Given:
1. The head (H) of a fish is 10 inch long.
2. The tail (T) is as long as head plus the body (if it's half the body, DonS. is right that L=80).
3. The body (B) is as long as the head and the tail together.

The system of equations using H=10 is:
T=10+B
B=10+T

rearranging yields the system:
T=B+10
T=B-10

As a system this has no solution since graphing the two equations yields two parallel lines 20 units apart. So we add them together to get the rid of the 10's and have:

2T=2B,

which is true provided that:

T=B

We can't turn around and plug them back in because we'll get false statements:
0=10, and
0=-10

But we can re-read the question looking to validate our constraint that T=B. This is possible only if we read it to mean:
Tail is as long as the head, add the body to get total length
Body is as long as the head, add the tail to get total length:

T=H (1)
B=H (2)
L=B+H+T

Substituting (1) into (2) gets:

T=B and, better yet:

T=B=H=10.

So L=B+H+T means L=30.

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

Would be easier to use a tape and just measure the fish.....

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

The tail is as long as head plus the body.

The problem is

It says the body is the same length as the head and tail put together so how can the tail be the same length as the head plus the body.

The tail being as long as the head ,plus the body is the length of the fish.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

The real question is, where is BUBBA???????? I have a sneaky suspicion he's snickering at all the responses and realizing he's not the only one with cabin fever........

 

[Autotech]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

Not to complicate all the equations but what if it?s a spoon bill

 

[64osby]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

Is this before or after the fish is caught?
because we all know when a fish grows the most.

And as written is not solvable using old math, my kids new math ?&$%@? might solve it.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

all this math is making my head hurt....

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

OK Bubba its time whats the answer

 

[tswiczko]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=460465

 

[oops!]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

how long is the fishes name....its a chinese fish

 

[AK_Chappy]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

Should have known Don would solve it. Not bad for an old hammer mechanic.


Sorry I was late folks, life got busy for a few days.

How long is the fish?

The head of a fish is 10 inch long. (H = 10) Ok, that is fine.

The tail is as long as head plus the body. (T=H +B, sub in #s from DonS 30 = 10 + 40, ummm not in my neck of the woods)

The body is as long as the head and the tail together. (B = H + T, sub in #'s 40 = 10 + 30, Ok, that part works)

Actually, I don't think he did. The wording and formulas do not match.
As worded, the only solutions are any and all numbers where Head and Tail are the same length, body length is only used to compute the total length.

AK Chappy

 

[sasto]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

How long is the fish?

The head of a fish is 10 inch long. (H = 10) Ok, that is fine.

The tail is as long as head plus the body. (T=H +B, sub in #s from DonS 30 = 10 + 40, ummm not in my neck of the woods)

The body is as long as the head and the tail together. (B = H + T, sub in #'s 40 = 10 + 30, Ok, that part works)

Actually, I don't think he did. The wording and formulas do not match.
As worded, the only solutions are any and all numbers where Head and Tail are the same length, body length is only used to compute the total length.

AK Chappy

This riddle has been around awhile. It was simply written wrong. As written.... it's impossible.

The power of google!

 

[Cofe]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

[/QUOTE]This riddle has been around awhile. It was simply written wrong. As written.... it's impossible.

The power of google![/QUOTE]

I agree, but to get the answer that I gave, I used the cancellation theory, plus a hypothesis.
I call bs

 

[scipper77]

Re: How long is the fish??? Mind boggler.

A little linear algebra would solve this if it had a solution which it does not.