Riddle Me This

[atrocity05]

Well, that's actually right Chemus.  Grats on the fast response.

did the whole, losing 40% and 40% of 20 is 8 so 20-8 = 12.  Simple math, just surprised it went quite that quickly

[skydragonknight]

What goes up but never comes down?

The national debt

[AndyJames]

I don't get it.

If you do it by weight:
90% of 20lb is 18lb.
10% of 20lb is 2lb.
For water to be 50% of mixture, water must = other = 2lb.
The total mixture would be 4lb.

If we do it by volume, well, we don't know what the volume is, but let us assume 20l.
Again we get 4l, 2l of each. The problem is, what is their relative densities? We don't know.

Thing is, 50% water is not a loss of 40% of the original volume. The 50% is measured to the new volume, not the old. I would think it would be closer to 10% water and 10% other stuff compared to the original volume.

Maybe it is something I am not seeing?

[atrocity05]

I think you're overanalyzing.  Basically it comes down to there being 90% water at one point and 50% at another.  That leaves a 40% difference which makes is 12 pounds.  Really, that's the way you're supposed to look at it.

[AndyJames]

That's the point. It isn't 50%

Say you have a mixture of 9lb water and 1lb sand. That is a 90:10 ratio.

Reducing the water to 5lb makes it 5:1 or 83:17 (roughly).

Reducing the water to 1lb, on the other hand, makes it 1:1 or 50:50.

What you said isn't 50% water...

[Chemus]

Maybe it is something I am not seeing?

AJ, the thing here is that only the water changed, from 90% of the mix to 40% of the mix. Water always measures the same by volume or weight, and only the water changed. I think that that may be what you're missing. This is similar to a red herring you can see with the 'riddle' What weighs more, a pound of lead or a pound of chicken feathers?'

[Nox_Noctis]

Yes, it lacks a number of parameters. Because we do not know if it (the solution) is 90% water by volume or by mass (or weight), we cannot conclude anything. Also, you say it is 50% water and that it began at 90% water, but you do not consider that we could have added more of the other component (which has nothing to do with the excluded option of evaporation), thus leaving the water unchanged.

[AndyJames]

AJ, the thing here is that only the water changed, from 90% of the mix to 40% of the mix. Water always measures the same by volume or weight, and only the water changed. I think that that may be what you're missing. This is similar to a red herring you can see with the 'riddle' What weighs more, a pound of lead or a pound of chicken feathers?'

What you are saying is not "water is 50% of the mix".

There are a few parameters missing.

[Chemus]

Well, I assumed that since the researcher was away and it was the weekend, that evaporation was the culprit. Apparently atrocity05, aka the riddler, did too.

Percentage by volume or mass could be an issue, but he only ever mentioned mass and that is what I did the math by. A few assumptions were required to give an answer, but they seem to make fairly good sense to me (I realize the irony inherent in that statement ). Not a lot of stretching required to get to there, IMO.

Aaand my riddle...

Some cite me as a symbol of surety, even eternity, yet inevitably I too will fail. What am I?

[AndyJames]

The stars or the sun. Either has been used.

[Chemus]

Got it in one...er, well two

[atrocity05]

btw, yeah, sorry for any confusion, but Chemus was on the right track.

[PhoenixInferno]

What weighs more, a pound of lead or a pound of chicken feathers?'

I once caught a teacher in the 4th grade with something similar to this, although the question was "gold vs chicken feathers".  The pound of chicken feathers actually weighs more, because gold is usually weighed in "troy pounds", which weighs less than the more familiar "avoirdupois pound".

Very strange.

[Sirperry]

Since this seems to of stalled out, I'll post one.

When I go in I might cause pain.
I cause you to spit and ask you not to swallow.
I can fill your hole.
What am I?

[Nox_Noctis]

Because my mind works like that, my first thought was, "a penis," but "I cause you to spit and  ask you not to swallow" is a matter of individual preference, I suppose.

If I think of anything else, I'll post, but I've almost been up 24 hours, so I'm thinking of sleeping soon.

[atrocity05]

Dentist I'm assuming.  No more riddles though... I'm out

[Sirperry]

Quite right.  Well, since you don't have one, here is another:

I go in hard.
I come out soft.
Some folks like to blow me hard.
What am I?

[BowenSilverclaw]

Since it wasn't a penis for the previous riddle, maybe it is this time?

[Dan2]

A popsicle?  Something being thawed or microwaved?

[BowenSilverclaw]

Maybe a candle?
Assuming it's not a penis ofcourse