The other one dollar didn't go anywhere! This is a counting trick!
The $49 + $49 + $1 = $99 is a very clever counting trick to hide the
remaining $1 which physically didn't go anywhere! This is a numbers
puzzle!
The error comes about by being inconsistent in how you account for where the $3 in change went after the purchase of the shirt, i.e., first you used the $3 in change to erroneously subtract $1 from what you owe each of your parents ($50 - $1 = $49) (you're counting backwards!) and then you added to that total debt balance of $98 ($49 I owe mom + $49 I owe dad) the $1 which you kept for yourself to then arrive at the false sum of $99, when you should have correctly and consistently added the $3 change back onto the $97-cost of the shirt so that the correct total balance of $100 would then be realized and accounted for as follows:
BEFORE THE PURCHASE OF THE SHIRT
Amount borrowed from mom -- $50
Amount borrowed from dad -- $50
Total borrowed -- $100
-------------------------
AFTER THE PURCHASE OF THE SHIRT
Cost of shirt -- $ 97
plus $ 3 change:
One dollar to mom -- $ 1
One dollar to dad -- $ 1
One dollar for myself -- $ 1
Total $100
This problem reminds me of the counting joke/trick that someone told me years ago:
"Do you know that you have 11 fingers instead of 10?!" Then the person telling the joke holds up a hand and begins counting his fingers on one hand and counts backwards as follows: "ten - nine - eight - seven - six", and then he quickly raises his other hand and says, "and five more makes eleven!"
The error comes about by being inconsistent in how you account for where the $3 in change went after the purchase of the shirt, i.e., first you used the $3 in change to erroneously subtract $1 from what you owe each of your parents ($50 - $1 = $49) (you're counting backwards!) and then you added to that total debt balance of $98 ($49 I owe mom + $49 I owe dad) the $1 which you kept for yourself to then arrive at the false sum of $99, when you should have correctly and consistently added the $3 change back onto the $97-cost of the shirt so that the correct total balance of $100 would then be realized and accounted for as follows:
BEFORE THE PURCHASE OF THE SHIRT
Amount borrowed from mom -- $50
Amount borrowed from dad -- $50
Total borrowed -- $100
-------------------------
AFTER THE PURCHASE OF THE SHIRT
Cost of shirt -- $ 97
plus $ 3 change:
One dollar to mom -- $ 1
One dollar to dad -- $ 1
One dollar for myself -- $ 1
Total $100
This problem reminds me of the counting joke/trick that someone told me years ago:
"Do you know that you have 11 fingers instead of 10?!" Then the person telling the joke holds up a hand and begins counting his fingers on one hand and counts backwards as follows: "ten - nine - eight - seven - six", and then he quickly raises his other hand and says, "and five more makes eleven!"
