A tricky maths question has been leaving people scratching their heads as only 15% can answer it correctly, but it actually has a simple solution. Can you solve it?
You’ll need to be one of the smartest 15% in the country to answer this maths question correctly. Brainteasers and other puzzles are a fantastic way to make sure you keep your mind in tip-top shape, which can boost cognitive function and help keep degenerative diseases such as dementia at bay.
There is a wide array of puzzles that work different areas of your brain, and as much as it’s a disliked subject by many, maths is a great way to exercise several areas at once. Recently, a maths question was posed on the ITV game show The 1% Club, where it was claimed only 15% of people would be able to answer it correctly.
In the TV show, contestants must answer questions that get increasingly harder as they drop in percentage. They begin with questions that 90% of people should get right, and descend all the way down to the fiendishly difficult 1% question.
This particular maths puzzle, which was shared on TikTok, was the 15% question on a recent episode and left many people confused as they struggled to work out the answer. Do you think you’ve got what it takes to solve it?
The question, as posed by host Lee Mack, was this: “What three consecutive numbers add up to 3,000?”
While it might seem like a simple maths sum, there’s more to it than that. The puzzle asks for consecutive numbers, which means you can’t just pick three random numbers, and you can’t use the same number twice.
For example, the answer isn’t “1,000 + 1,500 + 500”, as although that does equal 3,000, the numbers are not consecutive. All three numbers must follow one another in order for the answer to be correct, such as 1 + 2 + 3 = 6.
Have you worked it out yet? If not, here’s a hint for you: Think about the most obvious way you’d get to 3,000 using three digits if they could all be the same. Is there anything you can change about those digits to get you to the right answer?
If you’re still working it out, don’t scroll any further, as we’re about to give you the solution.
Answer
If all your digits were allowed to be the same, then the most obvious solution would be 1,000 + 1,000 + 1,000, right? These are not consecutive numbers, but you can make them consecutive by changing just one thing.
Taking one away from the first 1,000 and adding it to the last 1,000 gives you the correct answer: 999 + 1,000 + 1,001.
This is the only way to get to 3,000 using three consecutive numbers.
Commenters on the TikTok video were left baffled by the puzzle. Some claimed it was “easy” for a 15% question, while others said it left them stumped – and some even gave completely wrong answers.
One person confidently said: “900, 1,000, and 11,000. Come on people, it’s got to add up to 3,000.”
Their incorrect answer prompted someone else to respond: “At first, I was confused as to why this was only a 15% question, but after reading through the comment section, I understand now.”
Did you get the answer right? Let us know in the comments!