Question 84872: Hello. I've tried this problem but came to no logical solution. Please help.
A monk has a very specific ritual for climbing up the steps to the temple. First he climbs up to the middle step and meditates for 1 minute. Then he climbs up 8 steps and faces east until he hears birds singing. Then he walks down 12 steps and picks up a pebble. He takes one step up and tosses the pebble over his left shoulder. Now, he walks up the remaining steps three at a time which only takes 9 paces. How many steps are there?
Thank you very much for your help.
Found 2 solutions by rapaljer, galnamedpam:
Answer by rapaljer(4671)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! The monk goes up to the middle step. Then he goes up 8 more steps and down 12 steps, which places him 4 steps below the middle step. From this step, he goes UP 27 steps to the top. This means that there are 27-4=23 steps from the middle step to the top. There must be a total of 2*23 = 46 steps.
R^2 at SCC
Answer by galnamedpam(1)  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! The correct answer is in fact 49!!
let me confirm it for you. If there are 49 steps, and you start at the middle step, that is step #25 (there would be 24 on one side, and 24 on the other, and you are on the middle step.) Add 8 steps, so 33 is where you are now. He walks down 12, so he's at 21 now. He then takes one step up, so now he's at 22. His three strides, or THREE STEPS EACH, mean he just went up 27 steps, he was at 22, added those 27, so there are 49 steps.
The reason 46 in the other answer is incorrect is you've missed the one step he took up. After the 8 up, 12 down, 1 up (your missed one) he is THREE steps from the middle. Then he takes 27 to the top. Now remember, he is 3 from the middle, so after he reaches the middle, there are 24 steps left... so that is 24 steps from the middle to the top, but remember there is the OTHER side of the middle. So again, 24 on each side, and he's in the middle step between them, making the total 49.
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