Math question goes viral after confusing everyone

In early March, a math problem posted by Rafael José Dombraus went viral on social networks, after confusing many Internet users. The challenge generated so much controversy that even TikToker DamaBox reacted to it, generating over 6.2 million views.

In this article, we are going to discuss the problem and the different explanations that have come up to solve it.

the math problem

The problem is quite simple: “Together we have 1000 reais. You have 950 reais more than me. How much do I have? The correct solution is 50, but many people have wrongly answered 25.

Explanations and Solutions

Some netizens tried to explain the problem in different ways, trying to make those who had difficulties understand. An internet user explained: “If you had 50 and the person had 950 more than you, they would have 1000 alone. So to give the 1000 together, you need to have 25, which then the person has 950 more, giving 975, then putting your 25 together gives 1000”. While this explanation is reasonable, it is not completely correct.

For those who still don't understand, the correct solution is: if the person has 950 reais more than you, then he has 950 + x reais, where x is the amount you have. Together, you have 1000 reais, so:

x + (950 + x) = 1000

Adding the two x's and subtracting 950 from both sides, we get:

2x = 50

x = 25

So the correct solution is that the other person has 950 + 25 = 975 dollars, while you have 25 dollars.

Conclusion

Although it seems simple, the mathematical problem posted by Rafael José Dombraus generated a lot of confusion on social networks. However, with the help of correct explanations and solutions, it became clear that the correct answer is 50.

It is important to remember that mathematics is an exact science, but it takes practice and patience to understand and apply it correctly.