A puzzle for kids

A puzzle for kidsSham S. Misri

Three guests give the waiter a $10 bill each in payment of a $28 dinner check. Immediately thereafter they recall the waiter and complain that the check was too high. The waiter agrees to reduce it to $25. He returns to them five $1 bills in change. Each diner takes a $1 bill and tells the waiter to keep the remaining $2.

            Thus the dinner cost each diner $9 total = $27

                                                                        Tip= $2                       

                                                                     Total = $29

Since they had given the waiter $10 each, there is one dollar apparently unaccounted for. The question is, where did $1 go?

S. S. Misri‘s solution:

The apparent loss is $1 is due to an error in accounting practice.

The valid accounting would be as follows:

Cost of dinner for 3 persons = $ 25.00

                  Change to diners = $3

                                        Tip = $2

                                     Total = $30

By reverse accounting:

The dollar 2 tip is twice accounted for; once in the $29.00 figure and second time in the $27.00