maths

[bertoby]

IF A QUARTER OF 40 WERE 6, WHAT WOULD A THIRD OF 20 BE? This is a question on a quiz sheet and I would be grateful for any help. I don't know where to start looking even.

[pjames1974]

1/4 of 40 is 10, therefore 6 is 60% of the answer.
1/3 of 20 is 0.66667 therefore applying the same 60% rule the answer would be 4?

Only applying simple logic so I would suggest waiting for a second opinion!!!

[pjames1974]

a 1/3 of 20 is 6.66667.. not 0.66667

[bertoby]

Thank you. That is a very good logical answer. My brain does not work that way. A great help. Thanks.

[Rev. Green]

4 times 6 is 24 in decimal.
so "40" must represent 24
This suggests that "40" is written as base 6.
If "20" is also base six it represents 12 in decimal, so one third of "20" is 4.
However the question is perverse writing 6 for 6. In base 6 it should have written 10. Are you sure that the question wasn't "If a quarter of 40 were six ..."?

[factor-fiction]

Yes, under the base 6 approach 40 in base 6 is 24 in base 10 but , as Rev Green says, a quarter of 24 in base 6 would be 10 rather than 6.