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How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 10:41 AM

This is not a trick question (so don't say that a bus doesn't have legs). This is a real math problem and everything you need to answer it is in the following:

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?

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#1

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 10:59 AM

9618 legs - or should I sit in the corner

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#35
In reply to #1

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 11:40 AM

Step to the back of the bus...I'll save you a seat!

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#52
In reply to #1

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

03/25/2010 4:27 PM

sit in the corner

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#2

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 11:05 AM

Julie,

You didn't say whether the bus was in motion, so I don't know whether to include the legs of a bus driver...

Therefore, excluding said bus driver (and discounting any additional bus attendants):

You are looking at 10,990 legs.

10,976 of which have fur...

============================================================

Justy my $0.02...

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#3
In reply to #2

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 11:19 AM

You are correct to exclude the bus driver (he's not included in the solution I have).

Your solution is correct.

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#5
In reply to #2

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 1:03 PM

My pointy hat has fallen over my eyes....

I knew I should have carried the 1

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#6
In reply to #2

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 2:30 PM

(7*7*7*4)+(7*7*7*7*4)=10976+14=10990

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#4

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 1:03 PM

Hmm, let's break this down...

7 little cats x 4 legs = 28 little cat legs for each big cat

28 little cat legs x 7 big cats per backpack = 196 little cat legs per backpack

196 little cat legs x 7 backpacks = 1, 372 little cat legs per backpack

1, 372 little cat legs x 7 backpacks per girl = (let's see... 7 x 2 = 14, carry the 1....)

Too many pedicures to do in one day!

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#7

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 6:08 PM

I'm glad I am not a passenger on that bus.

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#8

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 7:49 PM

Girls=14 legs

Big cats=196 legs(7x7=49X4)

Little cats=9604 legs(49x7x4=1372(per backpack) 1372x7=9604)

Total= 9814 legs

3Doug had it except 7 little cats are girls with a total of 14, not 28 legs and then if he finished his math--done!

9814 legs total

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#9
In reply to #8

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 7:58 PM

Wrong! Check the number of big cats. Should be 343 with a total of 1372 legs.

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#10
In reply to #9

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 8:34 PM

I am sorry--I was wrong and you are right--I got backpacks and started filling them with cats and counted legs. I got freaked out and messed up--My bad.

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#11
In reply to #10

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 8:45 PM

No problem, Kilgore...we all do it occasionally.

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#41
In reply to #10

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 4:08 PM

It only takes one mad cat and there are no legs at all.

Somebody call security

Who's counting now?

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#45
In reply to #8

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

11/01/2008 1:23 PM

Actually, I did finish out my math later, and came up with 10990. If you add up the total of legs in each CATagory, you should come up with the same.

Now, I wonder where Del is. Seems to me that he should be all over this one, unless he's one of the cats in a backpack. Maybe someone needs to let (Del) the Cat out of the bag.

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#48
In reply to #45

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

11/02/2008 7:32 PM

Del would be the first to tell you (if he were here) that his math is worse than his golf...

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#12

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 10:59 PM

7 girls and maybe a driver means 16 legs (girls only 14 legs)

Cats have paws not legs so they do not count.

so it is a trick question

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#13
In reply to #12

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 11:34 PM

Very interesting...cats have paws...humans have feet...but the feet and paws are attached to the lower end of their (get ready for this)...LEGS!!!

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#17
In reply to #13

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 12:29 AM

Sorry you are right put my own language definitions int the mix

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#18
In reply to #17

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 12:34 AM

Well, you can rest assured that your English is a whole lot better than my Japanese. So please don't apologize.

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#19
In reply to #18

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 1:31 AM

Nihonjin janaiyo, orandajin desu

(i am not Japanese, i am Dutch)

i am just stuck here

parle vous francais?

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#36
In reply to #19

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 11:46 AM

No. -- JHF

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#37
In reply to #36

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 12:23 PM

C'est: "Non, Je ne parle-pas la Français." Quel domage...

Mais, en Anglais: That is: No, I do not speak French. What a pity...

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#14

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/30/2008 11:36 PM
NumberLegs PerTotal Legs
Bus1
Girls7 7 2 14
Backpacks7 49 - -
Big Cats7 343 4 1,372
Little Cats7 2,401 4 9,604
10,990

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#47
In reply to #14

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

11/02/2008 2:50 PM

But how many of the girls (and cats) were amputees???

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#15

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 12:12 AM

210

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#16

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 12:23 AM

1582?

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#20
In reply to #16

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 2:19 AM

238 legs

7 girls have 14 legs (7x2)

their 7 big cats have 28 legs (7x2)

seven big cats have 7 small cats that have 196 legs (7x7x4)

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#23
In reply to #20

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 5:55 AM

A slight typo:

their 7 big cats have 28 legs (7x2)

Should read

their 7 big cats have 28 legs (7x4)

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#21

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 4:49 AM

This is an old English riddle:

When I was going to St. Ives

I met a man with seven wives

Each wife had seven cats

Each cat had seven kits

Kits, cats, man and wives,

How many were going to St. Ives?

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#24
In reply to #21

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 6:21 AM

Hi capblanc,

As an Englishman I know the answer to that one.........only ONE.

But as this riddle is so old it has thrown up a knew riddle......"Which St. Ives?"

There are two places in England with this name!!!!!!

Spencer.

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#25
In reply to #21

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 7:55 AM

This is an easy riddle only because so many people have seen the movie, "Die Hard with a Vengence".

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#28
In reply to #25

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 8:15 AM

Hi Guest,

I'm sorry, but I learned this riddle when I was only 6 years old and that was in 1951, and I have never seen the film that you mentioned!!!!

Spencer.

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#46
In reply to #28

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

11/01/2008 6:17 PM

You were 14 when I learned, and soon forgot, that riddle.

a nuther guest.

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#30
In reply to #21

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 8:25 AM

ONE MAN

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#50
In reply to #21

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

11/03/2008 10:33 AM

I like this one better because I can count to one with screwing up. The other one has too many variables (more than two) for me.

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#22

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 5:42 AM

10,990

7 girls x 7 bags x 7 big cats x 7 small cats(1) x 4 legs per small cat = 9604 legs

7 girls x 7 bags x 7 big cats x 4 legs per big cat = .........................1372 legs

7 girls x 2 legs per girl = ..............................................................14 legs

legs(2)................................................................................10,990 legs

(1) Includes cats in bags or not in bags, or prenatal.

(2) Bus operator's two legs are still off the bus because she's having a smoke.

However, though the seven girls might be in a bus, they are not necessarily in the bus...in which case the answer is 2 when the bus driver gets back from smoking.

Julie is that a homework question? Shame on you if it is.

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#26

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 7:57 AM

It is 10990 legs

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#27

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 7:58 AM

There'll only be two when the driver returns and catches the girls with animals on the bus...

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#29

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 8:19 AM

10990!!!! dont forget to count in the girls legs.

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#31

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 9:44 AM

there are 10,990 legs !

VMM

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#32

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 9:49 AM

1,582

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#33

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 10:26 AM

Everyone forgot the legs on the seats!

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#34

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 10:58 AM

(7 girls x 2 legs)= 14

(7 girls x 7 BP x 7 LG cats x 4 legs)=1372

(49BP x 7LG cats x 7 SM cats x 4legs)=9604

14 + 1372 + 9604 = 10990 legs

getting further into it, we have the first leg of the trip, so thats 10991 legs.

However if they are on the return leg of the trip home 1582 +1st leg +2nd leg =10992 legs.

This is if one of the girls are driving.

Man... this is one big bus!

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#38
In reply to #34

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 2:35 PM

Big bus, nothing! Those backpacks have to be huge to carry that many cats.

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#39
In reply to #34

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 3:56 PM

"Man... this is one big bus!"

Well if it's a serial buss, then the cats will have to walk single file, so then you can count the legs!

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#40

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 3:59 PM

Oh, come on. A buss is an electrical distribution system so there are only 3 legs on the buss. (and no buss driver either!)







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#42
In reply to #40

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 4:51 PM

If one of the "legs" is dead they say it is running on two legs or single phaseing. If it is running on one leg do they call that hoping? -- JHF

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#43
In reply to #40

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

10/31/2008 5:13 PM

Ah, a subtle reference to buss being another name for a kiss!

Of course, that kind of buss won't have legs, but busses on legs.....

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#44

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

11/01/2008 12:21 AM

Hello julie

What about a 'walking bus"?

These are quite common is some Countries.

Typical photo at left.

Kind Regards....

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#49

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

11/03/2008 8:15 AM

Need to know the model of the bus as the seats have legs too.

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#51

Re: How Many Legs on the Bus?

03/13/2009 8:18 AM

240 legs

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