# $7.11 word problem Printable View • August 9th 2007, 04:30 PM kid funky fried$7.11 word problem
I need to verify that my answer(logic) is correct. I got this word problem from a magazine recently:
A person goes into a store and buys 4 items totaling $7.11. The price of the 4 items will equal$7.11 if added(of course) but also if multiplied.
What is the price of each item?

Kid Funky Fried
• August 9th 2007, 05:08 PM
galactus
This is an old classic.

So, what are your answers?. There are only 4 that work perfectly.

You should be able to check on a calculator.
• August 9th 2007, 05:40 PM
kid funky fried
there are 4?
Well here is what i did-
It seemed that I was unable to use alegbra because i could not eliminate enough varibles to solve for any given one. So, because the numbers were to be multiplied, I found all the factors of 711-1,3,9,79,237,and 711.Of these factors I found 3 & 2.37 would be the two numbers that I felt meant the conditions. Having then found all the factors of those numbers I concluded, now it seems in error, that there are no possible solutions.

Kid
• August 9th 2007, 05:41 PM
galactus
Try these:

$1.20,$1.25, $1.50,$3.16
• August 9th 2007, 05:47 PM
kid funky fried
Great!
Thanks, can you show me how you got the answers?
• August 9th 2007, 05:48 PM
galactus
Trial and error. Years ago. This is an old problem.

Actually, if I remember correctly, I started with 1.2 ,1.25, 1.5.

These three were just a lucky start and I knew they also have the same sum and product.

Then it was a matter of finding one more number which made 7.11
• August 9th 2007, 06:22 PM
kid funky fried
Ok, I found my error.
Had I factored 7110 and not 711 I would have found the numbers I was looking for.

$7110=2\cdot{3^{2}}\cdot{5}\cdot{79}$