A hot topic that seems to be making the rounds on Facebook the last couple days is "Take the High School Quiz", which tests an adult's ability to answer questions that a current high school senior be able to answer, in a variety of areas (chemistry, algebra, physics, etc.).
One of the questions (to which I am sure many adults would leap to an incorrect conclusion) is this:
Q: A horse runs a two-lap race around a circular track. During the first lap, its average speed is 20 miles per hour. What must the horse's average speed be during the second lap so its average speed over the course of the entire two-lap race is 40 m.p.h.?
In light of the method used to answer the above question, I'll pose another one (see below, not on the Quiz). The parameters are different, but should the thinking used to solve this one be the same?
Q: Larry is missing a concert ticket to a show he's been waiting months to see. If he doesn't leave his home in half an hour, he won't get there on time. The only thing he knows for a certainty is it's in a pocket in a pair of pants he owns. He also knows that he hasn't done laundry since he bought the ticket a week ago. The one thing about Larry, though, is when something goes missing, it always ends up being in the last likely place he mentally lists, which is this: He owns 11 pairs of pants, all of which have four pockets (two front, two back).
He now goes on his search, and for the first 15 minutes, he manages to search at an average rate of 40 pockets per hour. Is it possible for him to find his concert ticket on time?
Bonus: What is the ESSENTIAL difference between the first and second question?
