Riddle: 7 men have 7 wives. Each man and each wife have 7 children. What’s the total number of people?
At first glance, this riddle appears to be a simple arithmetic problem, but it requires attention to detail to ensure an accurate solution.
Let’s break it down step by step:
- 7 Men: The riddle begins by stating that there are 7 men.
- Total so far: 7 men
- Each Man has 1 Wife: Each of the 7 men has 1 wife. Therefore, the total number of wives is also 7.
- Total so far: 7 men + 7 wives = 14 people
- Each Man and Each Wife Have 7 Children: Both the men and the wives have 7 children together. This means each couple (1 man and 1 wife) has 7 children.
- 7 couples × 7 children = 49 children.
- Total so far: 14 people (men and wives) + 49 children = 63 people
Solution:
The total number of people in this scenario is:
- 7 men
- 7 wives
- 49 children
Thus, the total number of people is 63.
Summary:
This riddle involves basic multiplication but can be tricky if you don’t break down the relationships and quantities carefully. The key is recognizing that each couple shares 7 children, and there are 7 couples in total. Adding it all together, the correct answer is 63 people.
I disagree it clearly states each woman and each man this word play pushes the theory that it’s 14*7 not 7*7.
yes . It’s assuming very hetero normal families instead of recomposed ones which are very normal..