Mystery in selling marbles riddle

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Two women were selling marbles in the market place-
– One at three for a paisa and
– Other at two for a paisa.

One day both of them were obliged to return home when each had thirty marbles unsold. They put together the two lots of marbles and handing them over to a friend asked her to sell them at five tot 2 paise. According to their calculation, after all. 3 for one paisa and 2 for one paisa was exactly the same as 5 for 2 paise. Now they were expecting to get 25 paise tor the marbles, as they would have got. if sold separately But much to their surprise they got only 24 paise tor the entire lot.

Now where did the one paisa go? Can you explain the mystery?marbels-selling-puzzles

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  • 4 Answer(s)

    Their initial calculation was wrong.

    first person sell 3 for 1 paisa

    So price of one marble is 1/3 paisa

    for second person price for 1 marble is 1/2 paisa.

    Their average is (1/3+1/2)/2

    that is 5/12 paisa.

    So when they combined their marble it should be sold at price 5/12 for 1 marble or

    12 marble at 5 paisa.

    Then they will get 25 paisa for their marbles.

    dyj Expert Answered on 3rd December 2016.
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    Answer lies in number of steps taken to sell marbles.
    When they sell marbles together it takes 7 steps to sell 60 marbles and they will earn 24 paise
    But when they sell marbles separately first woman will take 10 steps to sell 30 marbles earning 10 paise and second will take 15 steps earning 15 paise, 25 paise in total. Average of two is 7.5.means 7 and a half step
    So this half step account for an extra paisa.

    Jayant Curious Answered on 6th December 2016.
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    Edit: It will take 12 steps together and 12 and a half steps separately instead of 7, 7and a half steps.
    Mistake being regretted.

    Jayant Curious Answered on 6th December 2016.
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    Suppose,
    Women A Sells 3 Marbles for a paisa
    Women B sells 2 marbles for a paisa.

    If both start selling 5 marbles for 2 paisa,  After selling 20 marbles, All marbles of women A is sold and Women B is left with 10 marbles. So ideally she should sell it at 2 for a paisa to get her full revenue.

    SuyogBakliwal Scholar Answered on 8th December 2016.
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