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Sun 2 Sep, 2007 04:16 pm
I got this from Edit [Moderator]: Link removed
Some of the answers are there.
This is solvable. The answer requires and explaination and not just 3 numbers:
Two neighbors are talking outside when Tom asks Tammy how many children she has at home. Tammy replies, "I have three children, and the product of their ages equals 36. The sum of their ages is the same as your house number, Tom. Can you guess their ages?" Tom thinks and says that he needs another clue. Tammy responds, "Ok. My eldest daughter is at home doing the laundry right now." Tom say he knows their ages. Do you?
The following are the possibilities for the product to be 36 and the sum (assuming his house number is a whole number, their ages are whole numbers as well):
1 1 36 = 38
1 2 18 = 21
1 3 12 = 16
1 4 9 = 14
1 6 6 = 13
2 2 9 = 13
2 3 6 = 11
3 3 4 = 10
The only way he would not know their ages from the product and sum
is if the sum is 13 since there are two possibilities. The oldest one is doing laundry means it's 2 2 and 9. 1 6 6 does not have an oldest person.
I agree with Thoh's answer and reasoning, although, technically, it is incorrect.
Assuming the two 6 year olds are twins, one would be older if only by minutes. Also, it is possible to have two separate births within 12 months, so one six year old could have just had his/her birthday, while the other is, maybe, 6 years and 11 months.
So I think the question is flawed.
well... the question asked was how many children were at home. Not how many children she has... so the kids at homes ages could also be 12 and 3... right?
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