even more cats

[low_delta]

This is a 5th grade math problem.

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?

Comments

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

406?

7 (backpacks) x 7 (cats) =49 + (7 backpacks x 7 little cats)= 98 x 4 (legs) = 392 + 14 (7 girls x 2)=406

[seamusd.livejournal.com]

406, not counting the bus driver, who wasn't mentioned in the problem.

[eideteker.livejournal.com]

7 backpacks? Do they have seven backs to accomodate each? And, if so, do they have seven torsos? Because then each torso might have its own legs. And how many of the cats are girls? Because then the premise that there are seven girls on the bus constrains the actual total number of cats.

[vocalista001.livejournal.com]

Not enough information....they didn't say how many Polly Pockets were in each backpack.

[raven-nest.livejournal.com]

Do we have to count the flea legs on all of those cats?

[vwip.livejournal.com]

10990, assuming 2 legs for each girl, and 4 legs for each cat.

[zaecus.livejournal.com]

14
The only objects actually identified as being "in a bus" are 7 girls. As it cannot be assumed that each girl brought all seven of her backpacks with her, the answer, provisional to a determination that all of the girls have no more than or less than two legs, is 14.

[mummm.livejournal.com]

14 unless having a bus driver is a trick to the question. If the driver is counted it would be 16 legs.

The cats and backpacks may not be in the bus.

[cynnerth.livejournal.com]

*too busy trying to imagine stuffing cats in backpacks*

[dwivian]

Assuming no other entities on the bus, and nobody hanging body parts outside, and the requisite 2 leg girls and 4 leg cats...

Each big cat maintains 7 small cats, for 8 cats per big, inclusive.
Each bag has 7 big cats, for 56 cats total.
Each girl has 7 bags, for 392 cats in total.
392*4=1568 cat legs, +2 legs for the girl, is 1570 legs per girl system.

Seven girls makes that 10990.

[banana.livejournal.com]

There are 7 girls in a bus - 14 legs
Each girl has 7 backpacks - 49 backpacks
In each backpack, there are 7 big cats 7*49=343 big cats - 343*4=1372 legs
For every big cat there are 7 little cats 7*343=2401 little cats 2401*4=9604 legs

9604+1372+14=10990 legs, or 10992 if there's a driver

I learned that you can paste an expression into the Windows calculator: paste "1+2=" and it says "3". 8~)

[banana.livejournal.com]

BTW, is the rhyme about going to St. Ives well known in America?