'Simple' SATs brainteaser has everyone arguing over the correct answer
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In the world of everyday maths, some problems might seem straightforward at first glance, but they offer a valuable opportunity to sharpen your skills. Take, for example, a seemingly simple question that was recently posted on the Guinness and Math Guy TikTok : "Susan read a book from page 23 to page 123. How many pages did she read?" At first, you might think the answer is just a matter of subtracting the smaller page number from the larger one. But as with most things in life, the solution requires a little more attention to detail. Let’s break it down.
The question gives us a clear starting point: Susan began reading on page 23 and finished on page 123. However, the key to solving this puzzle is understanding that the page numbers themselves represent the pages she turned to, not the number of pages she physically flipped through.
If you take a moment to reflect, it becomes clear that simply subtracting 23 from 123 doesn’t give us the correct answer. Subtracting 23 from 123 results in 100, but that’s not the number of pages Susan read. Brainteasers are a great way to boost brainpower. They improve problem-solving, creativity, and memory, while sharpening critical thinking. Solving puzzles also boosts confidence and keeps your mind agile.
One person commenting on the video: "Well, I barely understand it." Another added: "100 is the correct answer." A third person said: "where did you get that 1 from?". If you haven’t figured it out and need more time then look away now. To find how many pages Susan read, we need to count both the starting page (page 23) and the ending page (page 123). You can think of this as counting inclusively – she didn’t stop at page 122, but instead, read all the way to page 123. This means that:.
