Puzzler: Potato, #9625, Week of 6/22

Ray: I was struck by the fact that most kids are out of school, or are about to be out of school, for the summer. And less their little brains turn to mush, I thought that this would be a good puzzler for school kids to ponder. Here it is: Potatoes are 99 percent water and one percent what? Potato. So say you take a bunch of potatoes, like 100 pounds of potatoes and you set them out on your back porch to dry out.

Tom: Yeah, when they are dry they should weigh about a pound.

Ray: Well not drying out completely. And as they dry out the water begins to evaporate. And after awhile enough water has evaporated so that the potatoes are now 98 percent water. If you were to weigh those potatoes at that moment...

Tom: They'd be lighter.

Ray: Yes, how much lighter? That's the question. Now you can solve this puzzler algebraically, and I invite our school age children to do this, and anyone else who wants to do this. Now if you don't solve it algebraically, you are going to get the wrong answer.

Tom: Really?

Ray: Wait what's your answer, off the top of your head?

Tom: 99 pounds

Ray: You are wrong.

[ Car Talk Puzzler ]