On social media, many viewers were stunned by a viral math problem that no one seems able to answer.
On the Reddit platform, a baffling third-grade math problem has left the internet stumped.
An unexpected challenge
On Reddit platform , one user who goes by @L8asUsual shared a third grade math problem, left viewers stunned.
The post has the captured: “This 3rd grade math problem…”
A third-grade math question has bewildered many online after a concerned mother shared it.
Dusty Sappington, 40, from Terry, Mississippi, posted the homework problem on Reddit last week.
Her eight-year-old daughter, Izzy, faced a puzzling question that sparked confusion among users.
The math problem read: “Janell had 15 marbles. She lost some of them. How many does Janell have now?”
Dusty circled the question in red and asked for help.
Izzy had responded with a question mark, indicating her confusion.
Dusty urged Reddit users to provide a correct answer so her daughter could complete her homework.
The third-grade math problem sparked bafflement among viewers
The tricky question left many users stumped.
In the comment selection, some argued there was no definite numerical answer.
While someoe expressed doubt about their math skills..
One person said: < 15, but I don’t think that’s a fair 3rd grade question.
A second wrote: The answer is in the first sentence. She ‘had’ 15 marbles, whether she lost any or gave them away, she no longer ‘has’ any.
While a third commented: 1-13… She lost “some” which is more than 1 so at least 2 are lost, but she didn’t lose them all so she has at least 1 left. And the question is BS because there’s not enough info to come to the definitive answer
Someone else said: If you quantify some, it is more than a couple, few is less than some, so the answer can be anything between 4 and 11.
Another added: I guess she still has 15…..she just needs to back track and find the ones she lost. Things are never lost forever!
The situation sparked humor among users.
Lockestar joked, “Janell lost her marbles,” to which Dusty replied, “Me too.”
Some insisted that the answer must be less than 15, while kpflowers criticized the question as unfair for third graders.
Others suggested a more complex equation, but it felt out of place amid straightforward problems.
Dusty shared with HuffPost that Izzy has dyslexia. She attends a private school that provides traditional education while supporting students with learning disabilities. Dusty stated, “I haven’t found out the answer, but hope to see her graded paper soon.” She also questioned whether the problem was an error or a way to test knowledge of greater and less than concepts.
This baffling third-grade math question highlights the challenges students and parents face in education.
While the exact answer remains elusive, the incident sparked a lively discussion online.
What do you think the correct answer to this tricky math problem is?