Answer to Question #102210 in Algebra for stan

Question

You just got a job at your local newspaper as the expert on our number system. Your job
is to run an advice column. People will send you questions about our number system, and
you will need to write answers that help them understand our system better.
Dear Dr. Math,
I’m puzzled by the following problem. My girlfriend and I were suppose to meet after she
got out of work at 8:05 pm. I had a voice mail message that she was going to be there 50
minutes early. I arrived promptly 7:55. But my girlfriend chewed me out for being late.
What did I do wrong?

Answer 1

The issue is that she was waiting for you arriving at 7:15 instead of 7:55.

To understand it better, let us think step by step.

Previous time was 8:05 and it was changed to 50 minutes earlier. We may think of that as an hour (60 minutes) earlier and then 10 minutes later. 60 minutes earlier is 7:05 (8:05 minus 1 hour) and 10 minutes later is 7:05 + 0:10 = 7:15.

Thus, 50 minutes early from 8:05 is 7:15.