End of week maths test

[king_pellinor]

Messrs Marks and Spencer own a shop. They are very nice men, if a little weak at arithmetic.

King Pellinor wants to buy some plates from their shop. He goes in looking for two plates, but notices that there is a doubly special offer on: some nice plates which are normally sold at £2 each are on "three for the price of two" as well as "20% off". So he buys nine plates.

How much should Messrs Marks and Spencer charge for these nine plates?

Comments

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

If they don't say something like "Only one offer applies", £9.60.

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

I also declare for £9.60.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

Even though several years working as a pension scheme auditor taught me never ever to trust an actuary's arithmetic, I too will reluctantly go for £9.60.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

You just don't understand the actuarial adjustments we apply ;-)

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

It's not the actuarial adjustments that actuaries seem to struggle with, just the basic arithmetic!

(Kidding, kidding...)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

That's because we've got students to do the basic arithmetic for us.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

Obviously there's a problem with the manager review then...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Three magic beans, or a cow.

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

Put us out of our suspense, then. What did they charge you? And are they nice plates?

[king-pellinor.livejournal.com]

They're quite nice plates: plain white, shallowly domed. Nothing at all fancy. Microwave and dishwasher safe. 3 big ones and 6 small-to-medium ones.

The receipt says (broadly):

- 9 lots of £2 make £18.
- 3 of them are free, so take off £6.
- All of them are at 20% off, so we take off 20% x 9 x £2, or £3.60.
- £18 less £6 less £3.60 makes £8.40.
- QED.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I presumed that would be their answer.

For what its worth

[(Anonymous)]

My housemate likes buying discout stuff from Sainsburies. When the bread is 80p a loaf, and on a buy one, get one free offer its pretty good. When the price drops to 20 pence beign the end of the day the offer is better, especially when the till works out the price by removing the 80 pence the second loaf would have cost. when you walk otu of a supermarket and they give you money as well as goods, they certainly do look confused.

After he worked out what was happening, he always brought extra stuff, as the till staff seemed happy with the price as long as they took some money.

Phil

Re: For what its worth

[king-pellinor.livejournal.com]

Well, as long as everyone's happy... :-)