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The potato paradox

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  • J Jorgen Andersson

    You have 100 lb of "mathematical" potatoes, which are 99 percent water by weight. You let them dehydrate until they're 98 percent water. How much do they weigh now? No googling, ok.

    Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

    OriginalGriffO Offline
    OriginalGriffO Offline
    OriginalGriff
    wrote on last edited by
    #2

    50lbs. 1lb == 1% of 100lb, and 2% == 50lbs So as not to give the game away! (hilight to reveal)

    Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

    "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
    "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

    J M L 3 Replies Last reply
    0
    • J Jorgen Andersson

      You have 100 lb of "mathematical" potatoes, which are 99 percent water by weight. You let them dehydrate until they're 98 percent water. How much do they weigh now? No googling, ok.

      Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

      L Offline
      L Offline
      Lost User
      wrote on last edited by
      #3

      Quote:

      No googling, ok.

      Ok, but than please ask it for 45.359237 kg ;P :-D

      It does not solve my Problem, but it answers my question

      OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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      • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

        50lbs. 1lb == 1% of 100lb, and 2% == 50lbs So as not to give the game away! (hilight to reveal)

        Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

        J Offline
        J Offline
        Jorgen Andersson
        wrote on last edited by
        #4

        And we have a winner. That was to quick, I was hoping for a few wrong ones to start with. :)

        Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

        OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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        • J Jorgen Andersson

          And we have a winner. That was to quick, I was hoping for a few wrong ones to start with. :)

          Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

          OriginalGriffO Offline
          OriginalGriffO Offline
          OriginalGriff
          wrote on last edited by
          #5

          That's why I hid it - I remembered it from somewhere.

          Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
          "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

            50lbs. 1lb == 1% of 100lb, and 2% == 50lbs So as not to give the game away! (hilight to reveal)

            Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

            M Offline
            M Offline
            Munchies_Matt
            wrote on last edited by
            #6

            I dont get it. Should be 99.0001 lbs or some such.

            OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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            • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

              50lbs. 1lb == 1% of 100lb, and 2% == 50lbs So as not to give the game away! (hilight to reveal)

              Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

              L Offline
              L Offline
              Lost User
              wrote on last edited by
              #7

              Forgive me for being thick but I cannot get my head round that. In 100lb there is 1lb of starch and 99 lbs of water (yes?). So if you lose 1% of the water, isn't that just 1lb less than before?

              OriginalGriffO W M N 4 Replies Last reply
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              • M Munchies_Matt

                I dont get it. Should be 99.0001 lbs or some such.

                OriginalGriffO Offline
                OriginalGriffO Offline
                OriginalGriff
                wrote on last edited by
                #8

                OK, so 100ib of potatoes, 99% water. That means that 1% is not water, and that weighs 1lb. If you reduce the water content to 98%, that doesn't affect the non-water part, so 1lb of the potatoes is now 2% of the total. If 2% of the weight is 1lb, then the total weight is now 50lb. For 97% you get 33.3lb, 96% gives 25lb, and so on.

                Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                M 1 Reply Last reply
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                • L Lost User

                  Forgive me for being thick but I cannot get my head round that. In 100lb there is 1lb of starch and 99 lbs of water (yes?). So if you lose 1% of the water, isn't that just 1lb less than before?

                  OriginalGriffO Offline
                  OriginalGriffO Offline
                  OriginalGriff
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #9

                  OK, so 100ib of potatoes, 99% water. That means that 1% is not water, and that weighs 1lb. If you reduce the water content to 98%, that doesn't affect the non-water part, so 1lb of the potatoes is now 2% of the total. If 2% of the weight is 1lb, then the total weight is now 50lb. For 97% you get 33.3lb, 96% gives 25lb, and so on.

                  Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                  "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                  "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                  L 1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • L Lost User

                    Quote:

                    No googling, ok.

                    Ok, but than please ask it for 45.359237 kg ;P :-D

                    It does not solve my Problem, but it answers my question

                    OriginalGriffO Offline
                    OriginalGriffO Offline
                    OriginalGriff
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #10

                    OK - the new weight is 22.679618kg.

                    Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                    "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                    "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                      OK, so 100ib of potatoes, 99% water. That means that 1% is not water, and that weighs 1lb. If you reduce the water content to 98%, that doesn't affect the non-water part, so 1lb of the potatoes is now 2% of the total. If 2% of the weight is 1lb, then the total weight is now 50lb. For 97% you get 33.3lb, 96% gives 25lb, and so on.

                      Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                      L Offline
                      L Offline
                      Lost User
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #11

                      :thumbsup: I knew it would be simple.

                      OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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                      • L Lost User

                        :thumbsup: I knew it would be simple.

                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                        OriginalGriff
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #12

                        It's simple when you see it! :laugh: If I recall correctly, I scratched my head a fair amount the first time I saw this one.

                        Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                        "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                        1 Reply Last reply
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                        • J Jorgen Andersson

                          You have 100 lb of "mathematical" potatoes, which are 99 percent water by weight. You let them dehydrate until they're 98 percent water. How much do they weigh now? No googling, ok.

                          Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

                          L Offline
                          L Offline
                          Lost User
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #13

                          That's more lettuce than potato. A potato will clock in at roughly 75% water (just a tad more than a human). Still a nice example where math beats intuition :thumbsup:

                          Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

                          J 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                            OK, so 100ib of potatoes, 99% water. That means that 1% is not water, and that weighs 1lb. If you reduce the water content to 98%, that doesn't affect the non-water part, so 1lb of the potatoes is now 2% of the total. If 2% of the weight is 1lb, then the total weight is now 50lb. For 97% you get 33.3lb, 96% gives 25lb, and so on.

                            Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                            M Offline
                            M Offline
                            Munchies_Matt
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #14

                            "To 98%" of what is the question. The original weight or the final weight. That wasnt specified. :)

                            OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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                            • M Munchies_Matt

                              "To 98%" of what is the question. The original weight or the final weight. That wasnt specified. :)

                              OriginalGriffO Offline
                              OriginalGriffO Offline
                              OriginalGriff
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #15

                              Quote:

                              You let them dehydrate until they're 98 percent water.

                              That's pretty clear!

                              Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                              "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                              "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                              M P 2 Replies Last reply
                              0
                              • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                Quote:

                                You let them dehydrate until they're 98 percent water.

                                That's pretty clear!

                                Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                M Offline
                                M Offline
                                Munchies_Matt
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #16

                                Nothing is clear in the land of language....

                                B 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • L Lost User

                                  That's more lettuce than potato. A potato will clock in at roughly 75% water (just a tad more than a human). Still a nice example where math beats intuition :thumbsup:

                                  Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

                                  J Offline
                                  J Offline
                                  Jorgen Andersson
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #17

                                  These are 'mathematical' potatoes. :) But feel free to substitute with jellyfish if you want to.

                                  Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

                                  L 1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • J Jorgen Andersson

                                    These are 'mathematical' potatoes. :) But feel free to substitute with jellyfish if you want to.

                                    Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

                                    L Offline
                                    L Offline
                                    Lost User
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #18

                                    Could as well have chosen a mathematical ball of lead with 99% water-content. --edit It is misleading, since we have some "experience" with potatoes not shrinking 50% when they lay in the basement.

                                    Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

                                    J OriginalGriffO 2 Replies Last reply
                                    0
                                    • L Lost User

                                      Could as well have chosen a mathematical ball of lead with 99% water-content. --edit It is misleading, since we have some "experience" with potatoes not shrinking 50% when they lay in the basement.

                                      Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

                                      J Offline
                                      J Offline
                                      Jorgen Andersson
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #19

                                      Indeed.

                                      Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • L Lost User

                                        Could as well have chosen a mathematical ball of lead with 99% water-content. --edit It is misleading, since we have some "experience" with potatoes not shrinking 50% when they lay in the basement.

                                        Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

                                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                                        OriginalGriff
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #20

                                        That's because they start out at 80% water, not 99%. And because nobody regularly checks their spuds for water content... :laugh:

                                        Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                                        "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                                        L 1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                          That's because they start out at 80% water, not 99%. And because nobody regularly checks their spuds for water content... :laugh:

                                          Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                          L Offline
                                          L Offline
                                          Lost User
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #21

                                          OriginalGriff wrote:

                                          And because nobody regularly checks their spuds for water content... :laugh:

                                          I keep potatoes in a dark and cool closet. After 3 months, they may have lost "some" weight, but not the same amount as your "mathematical" potatoes. Non-mathematical potatoes do not loose water in a mathematical linear way.

                                          Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

                                          OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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