Multiply! “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Math Puzzle – Solution Added

Multiplication. This was actually Jesus’ plan for reaching and potentially saving the entire world! Each person, having received the seed of the gospel, would possibly reproduce exponentially. The next crop would multiply, and then the next, and then the next, until all the earth was covered and every soul was offered the gospel.

In financial terms, we call it compound interest. Which of these would you choose? Would you rather have a penny today, that doubled everyday for a month, or $1 million today? The $1 million sounds like so much more, and it would be much more, initially. But actually, If you took just a single penny and doubled what you had everyday, by day 30, you would have $5,368,709.12.

The host of the TV game show, “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” once posed the following math puzzle. Give it a try!

There are 7 girls in a bus. Each girl is carrying 7 backpacks. Each of those backpacks holds 7 big cats. For each big cat, there are 7 little cats.

Question: How many legs are in that bus (minus the driver)?

Submit your answer in a comment below, and tell me how you calculated it! Your response will not become public. It welcome to me for review, and I will reply to you privately.

Scroll down for the calculation and the correct answer.

Think about and pray about how the Lord could multiply His work through the backpacks and cats — I mean the seed! — that He has given you. Go into His field and plant it!

SOLUTION:

Written by Cory Collins