Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

30 January, 2008 - Amy Armitage, Fluff, SEO, Website Tools

By Amy Armitage

So I got this email late yesterday and I really had trouble working out the answer. A few of us in the office are going back and forth yelling out random answers.

Here it is…

There are 7 girls in a bus
Each girl has 7 backpacks
In each backpack, there are 7 big cats
For every big cat there are 7 little cats

Question: How many legs are there in the bus?

Does the answer come to you quickly or are you still trying to figure it out?

Hint: I was being all clever and stuff and I counted the bus driver’s legs too. Apparently there isn’t a bus driver, just a bunch of school girls sitting on a bus that’s not moving with too many backpacks and a cat collecting hobby .. lol

Who stuffs that many cats into a backpack anyway? I think I should call the animal protection society ;)

evan01ca

It makes it more fun to get people to do it when you give the hint that the answer is 5 digits and ends with a zero!! They get so frustrated when they get smaller numbers and know it is wrong lol…
redhotclassy in nj

yep answer is 10,990……..dont know if im ready for a 6th grade question yet! lol
hootrs23

with all those cats, just think of all the kitty litter you’re going to need!!!
jwohrer

It is 10990
randy sigh

7*4=28 <————- little cat
(28+(((7*4)*7)) <— this is how much per bag = 224
(224*7) = 1568 <— there are 7 bags
1568+2 = 1570 <— girl have 2 legs
1570*7 <———— there are 7 girls

Therefore answer is 10990
Samantha McGill

10,990 is the correct answer – I worked it out and it opened the spreadsheet – it took a few goes though to work this out :-)
azza

i found the answer it was hard but i found it was 1024
katie guinn

umm wow i just want to no the real answer!!!!!
i got 1568, now im giving it to my math teacher mobley to figure out =]
Vanessa Stewart

7 girls with 7 backpacks = 49 backpacks

49 backpacks with 7 cats = 343 big cats

each big cat has 7 litten cats = 343×7=2401

(7×2) + (343×4) + (2401×4)

14 + 1372 + 9604 = 10990legs in the bus! This is correct and opened the excel sheet
Jimmy

As for a bus driver, this bus don’t need one.. it ain’t movin’n! With around 10 tons of various cats, girls, and backpacks, the tires would be as flat as pancakes!
Little Andy

I cheated and sent it to 2 physicists 10990 is correct answer whewwwwwwww
Cheyenne

its 10990

im positive lol i had it for homework the other night so u i know =P
Becca

If I could delete this question from the fabric of reality, I would.
Nicole van den Broek

The clue is the fact that people might multiply by 2 instead of 4?
Legs for the girls are 2, but for cats it’s 4…
Sally “B”

The only thig we know for sure is that there are seven girls on a bus…
we are told that they have seven backpacks each but the backpacks are not necessarily on the bus with them…for this reason will say “Legs on the Bus”?? 14
http://my.website.is.the.coolest moe

10990 not including the bus driver!!
rawr

10990
nathaniel

10990 i think
Tom

7 girls x 2 legs = 14 legs (girls)
7 girls x 7 backpacks x 7 big cats = 343 big cats
343 big cats x 4 legs = 1372 legs (big cats)
343 big cats x 7 little cats = 2401 little cats
2401 little cats x 4 legs = 9604 legs (little cats)
total legs = 14 legs + 1372 legs + 9604 legs = 10990 legs
Tom

7 girls x 2 legs = 14 legs (girls)
7 backpacks x 7 big cats = 49 big cats
49 big cats x 4 legs = 196 legs (big cats)
49 big cats x 7 little cats = 343 little cats
343 little cats x 4 legs = 1372 legs (little cats)
total legs = 14 legs + 196 legs + 1372 legs = 1582 legs
leelee

Here is the ANSWER FROM THE EMAIL AND THE ANSWER AND HOW ITS FIGURED OUT

The answer is 10990.

Here is how I got it …

Calculating the number of legs for 1 girl first:

1 girl = 2 legs

7 backpacks with 7 cats each = 7×7 = 49 big cats –> 49×4= 196 legs

Each big cat has 7 small cats each = 49×7= 343 small cats –> 343×4= 1372 legs

Total number of legs for 1 girl (and her backpack of big/small cats) = 2+196+1372 = 1570

There are 7 girls, therefore total number of legs:
1570×7 = 10990
Stephanie

7 girls
49 backpacks
343 big cats
2401 little cats
(7×2) + (343×4) + (2401×4)=
14+1372+9604=
10990

my awnser: 10990
Noelle

Girls= 2legs x 7 girls = 14 total legs
Each backpack has = 7 big cats + 49 little cats = 56 x 4 legs = 224 legs
224 total legs x 7 backpacks = 1568 legs

1568 legs per back pack x 7 girls = 10976 legs +14 girls legs = 10990
monty

I date back to the early times….they always taught us to put that comma in there…such as 10,990 and that was my initial answer and could not figure out why it didn’t work as a password…LOL
Lisa

Michael,

343 cats x 7 kittens = 2401 kittens. How did you get 16,807?

I got the same 10,990 answer as explained by a few of the others. Counted the # of girl’s legs then figured out the big cats and their legs then the little cats and their legs and added together.
Michael

Ok the final ANSWER no ?, I spent about an hour, is……… 68,614 Legs!!!!!, not 10990 here is the work

not really, but

7 girls = 49 bags = 343 Cats = 16807 Kittens
Now find the legs! not hard

14 + 1372 + 67,228 = 68,614 Legs

P.S. I did not use a calculator
Ann

The correct answer is 10990
http://google.com Answer!

The answer that unlocks it all is 10990. Just got the e-mail and that password worked!
Fan4racing

10,990 – the excel opens and displays the correct 10,990 !
DJ LonS

7 Girls “In a bus” = 14 legs
The answer is 14.
Nowhere is it mentioned that the back packs or the cats are “in the bus” otherwise the correct answer would be 10,990
(7 x 2) + (343 x 4) + (2401 x 4) = 10,990 legs total
Lisa

Abbas Khan gave his formula:

7Girls*7backbacks*7LargeCats*7LittleCats*4LEGS + 7Girls*2LEGS = 10990 LEGS

but if he did his own math, he would see that his answer should have been 9618 legs. His answer is only counting the legs of the little cats and the girls. He still needs to add in the number of legs of the big cats to get to the correct answer of 10,990. Stephano and Alun explained it the best.
http://blog.lunarpages.com/2008/01/30/are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-grader/ Lorri Johnson

10990 is the answer…put it in and you will see…this was sooo friggin hard!!!
Stephen

2548 legs, i did it in my head so i might be wrong
Alun B

After about a minute of addition in my head I come up with: 10,990

- 7 girls (2 legs) = 14
- 343 big cats (7x7x7) x (4 legs) = 1,372
- 2,401 small cats (7x7x7x7) x (4 legs) = 9,604

Total= 10,990 legs.

I think most people are forgetting “Each girl has 7 backpacks” & “In each backpack, 7 cats” i.e 7x7x7.

Good thing tech support doesn’t require any real quick math ;-).
http://lunarpages.com Abbas Khan

7Girls*7backbacks*7LargeCats*7LittleCats*4LEGS + 7Girls*2LEGS = 10990 LEGS

Amy, tough question though :D

LOL~
http://amiestreet.com/mandm Tiara

LOL

I hate this game.
http://www.webtechnepal.com webtechnepal

hmmmm
Mark

10990

49 backs each with 56 cats plus 7 girls
Kate

210 legs = (7 cats * 7 kittens * 4 legs each) + (7 girls * 2 legs each)
http://www.stefanobernardi.com Stefano

7girlsx2legs = 14legs
+
7*7*7 big cats * 4 legs = 1372
+
7*7*7*7 small cats * 4 legs = 9604

= 10990 legs.

Pretty huge bus.
http://www.lunarpages.com Amy

Todd.. is that your final answer? Are you sure you don’t want to phone a friend?
http://www.designreverb.com ReTodd

10990 legs
http://www.lunarpages.com Amy

You’re all posting your responses with a ? like I know the answer.. lol

I’m actually not sure but I’ll find out and post it when I do.
DUH

Is it 36,701?
SammityMaths

749?
http://lunarpages.com Lydia

MY HEAD HURTS!!!! TO MUCH THINKING… I fell asleep counting legs last night!!
http://readywpthemes.com readywpthemes

I found also 10990 :)
Anon (too scared to admit my name)

Is the answer 10,990?
Sarah Walsh

I think it is 10,650
Thomas

648?

Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

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