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Suppose, a litre of cola costs US$3.15. If you buy one third of a litre of cola, how much would you pay?
The above may seem like a rather basic question. Something that you would perhaps expect the vast majority of adults to be able to answer? Particularly if they are allowed to use a calculator.
Unfortunately, the reality is that a large number of adults across the world struggle with even such basic financial tasks (the correct answer is US$1.05, by the way).
[...] In many other countries, the situation is even worse. Four in every ten adults in places like England, Canada, Spain and the US can't make this straightforward calculation – even when they had a calculator to hand. Similarly, less than half of adults in places like Chile, Turkey and South Korea can get the right answer.
-- submitted from IRC
High number of adults unable to do basic mathematical tasks
(Score: 4, Insightful) by anotherblackhat on Friday March 16 2018, @12:56AM (12 children)
I don't know where these "math literate" people shop, but around here you can't buy 1/3 of a liter.
If you wanted to ask, "what's one third of $3.15" then you should have asked that exact question.
Prices are whatever the store sets them at. A 7.5 ounce can of Coke is probably priced higher then a 12 ounce can.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by zocalo on Friday March 16 2018, @01:18AM (3 children)
As for 1/3l, not sure about the current availabile size options of metric fluids in the US, but 330ml cans of soda (roughly 1/3l) are pretty common in many metric countries (more so than 250ml which are typically only used by airlines and other concession type services), so if the researchers were from one of those countries that might explain the basic premise of question, although as you say, also demonstrates a poor grasp of retail pricing. Three 330ml cans will almost always cost quite a bit more than a 1l bottle, but you *might* be able to find a six pack of 330ml cans for less than a 2l bottle...
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 16 2018, @01:37AM
What you do with the extra 2/3 of a liter is up to you, but you'll be paying for a whole liter. Soda might be sold as gas stations, but it doesn't come out of the pump.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 16 2018, @03:16AM
Exactly. 80% of this stuff is paying attention. Look at the information provided *and* at the result requested. Eight times out of ten, just doing that will get you most of the way there.
So pay attention! Hey! I'm talking to you! You're not going to learn this stuff unless you pay attention to what's going on and what you're being asked to do! What did you say? Get out! Go to the principal's office right now!"
If you were one of those kids, it's no wonder you can't find your ass with two hands and a mirror.
(Score: 2) by DutchUncle on Friday March 16 2018, @01:11PM
In the real world, nobody says "what's one third of the price", they might say "how much do we each chip in if we split it 3 ways". The question was phrased badly *either* way.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 16 2018, @01:26AM
It probably wouldn't be like that, but I do see a bunch of deals at the local grocery store that are things like 10 for $10. Granted, that one is dead simple, but there's sometimes weird numbers like 4 for $2.99 which are somewhat more complicated. And if you look carefully the sign usually states the unit price, but it's in a small font and it's usually easier to do the math. Assuming that you're not one of those people who is bad at arithmetic.
So, the example probably isn't as contrived as it might appear.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by tekk on Friday March 16 2018, @01:48AM (2 children)
Right? My first thought of the answer to "How much does 1/3rd of a litre of soda cost if a litre costs $3.15" is $3.15 because the store doesn't sell thirds of litres.
(Score: 2) by toddestan on Friday March 16 2018, @02:49AM (1 child)
1/3 of a liter is 333 ml, and a standard 12 oz can is 355 ml, which is only slightly larger. Some stores do sell soda by the can, the going rate is usually 99 cents. With tax, about $1.06. So close enough ;)
(Score: 2) by cocaine overdose on Friday March 23 2018, @02:14AM
I HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN POSTING SINCE THE DATE OF THIS POST
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Friday March 16 2018, @01:54AM
Very easy, they put the answer right at the beginning. You pay $3.15, you get your cola. And a little more than you wanted. Drink up!
(Score: 2) by dry on Friday March 16 2018, @05:10AM (1 child)
You never split something with perhaps 2 friends?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 16 2018, @01:45PM
Of course I do. Mostly hairs. ;-)
(Score: 2) by SomeGuy on Friday March 16 2018, @07:06PM
You think that is bad, a while back the Pubelix here had some pricing glitch on their ketchup. A smaller container cost a bit more than a larger container. Not per unit, but the total price. And it wasn't a "sale" on the larger ones, as it was that way for at least a year or more. One would have to be completely stupid and unable to read in order to buy the smaller ones, but they were selling just fine.