Question 305604: I am having a terrible time trying to solve this question, please help. Jelly bean Jar Guess: One guess is off by 9, another guess is off by 17, and yet another guess is off by 31. How many jelly beans are in the jar?
1st guess is 260
2nd guess is 234
3rd guess is 274
Thank you very much
Answer by solver91311(24713)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Trial and Error works pretty well on this one.
Let's guess that the 234 guess is the one that is off by 9. That would mean that the real number is either 225 or 243. If the real number is 225, then one of the other guesses would have to be 225 minus 17, that is: 208, or 225 plus 17, that is 242. Neither of those is one of the other guesses, so discard the 234 guess as being 9 too large. But 243 plus 17 is 260 and 243 plus 31 is 274, and those match both of the other two guesses.
The actual number is 243, the 234 guess is 9 too small, the 260 guess is 17 too large, and the 274 guess is 31 too large.
John
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