Answers to Mike's Puzzler

1.     A man went to the hardware store to buy some items.  While there the power went out and the cashier was unable to use the cash register, but was still checking customers out using a calculator to add up the totals.  The man had 4 items and placed them on the counter.  He watched as the clerk hit the buttons on the calculator and noticed that the clerk was multiplying the items together instead of adding them.  The clerk told the man his total was $7.11 and the man said that the total was wrong because he had multiplied the amounts instead of adding them.  The clerk then figured the cost again this time making sure to add the amounts.  The total was again $7.11.  The man paid and walked out wondering if he had been mistaken the first time when he corrected the clerk.  When he got home he found that if the prices were multiplied or added the total was always $7.11.  So, what was the price of each of the four items?
     Answer: The items cost $1.20, $1.25, $1.50 and $3.16

2.     A farmer has 20 hens that he knows together will hatch 30 eggs every 18 days.  If the farmer buys 10 more hens. How long will it take to hatch the same number of eggs?
    Answer: It will still take 18 days to hatch an egg.