‘What is the closest time to midnight?’ Quiz

[Blueray]

‘What is the closest time to midnight?’: Maths question for kids causes confusion

On the face of it, it is a rather straightforward question.

But a maths question for children about time that was posted on social media has gone viral, racking up 1.4 million views after leaving people vacillating between more than one seemingly valid answer.

The problem was posted on Twitter by user @yawdmontweet from Jamaica, who said the question “hurt his head”.

The question was: “What is the closest time to midnight?”

The following answer options were provided – A : 11.55am, B : 12.06am, C : 11.50am and D : 12.03am.

Social media users appeared to have been thrown off by the question, and commented with different answers.

Many thought the answer was D, because it is only three minutes away from midnight.

But others countered that 12.03am is the closest after midnight, not to midnight, because time moves forward.

Going by that logic, the answer should be A, they said, since 11.55am is 12 hours and 5 minutes to midnight. 12.03am would be 23 hours and 57 minutes to midnight, and thus the furthest.

Many Twitter users disagreed, arguing that the question relates to proximity, not chronology.

Some respondents said the question was confusing because of how it was worded. There was no indication of “which midnight” the question was referring to.

For one person, the solution was simple: Ask artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, which said D was the right answer.

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/what-is-the-closest-time-to-midnight-maths-question-for-kids-causes-confusion

I chose D. 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2023 by Blueray

[Inlinefour]

sergeant said 2359 

 

 

lights off 

Edited July 1, 2023 by Inlinefour

[Inlinefour]

我想是D 

[Stary]

Clearly is D la.....

 

[mersaylee]

This one must ass RadX...midnight is his start work time...😁

[Jamesc]

.

Edited July 1, 2023 by Jamesc

[Lala81]

D

[Jamesc]

.

Edited July 1, 2023 by Jamesc

[Stary]

On 7/1/2023 at 4:46 PM, Jamesc said:

Its A lah!

Its like asking how close can your drive to the edge?

A is 5 inches to the edge

B is 6 inches past the edge

C is 10 inches to the edge

D is 3 inches past the edge

Of course it its my MIL I hope its B

she drove 6 inches past the edge!

Bro..see clearly. A and C is am, not pm. So A and C are not just inches to the edge, but probably many many meters to the edge!

Edited July 1, 2023 by Starry

[Jamesc]

.

Edited July 1, 2023 by Jamesc

[Jamesc]

On 7/1/2023 at 4:53 PM, Starry said:

Bro..see clearly. A and C is am, not pm.

Haha I din see properly!

You are absolutely right!

[Jamesc]

Its like asking if MIL dies at midnight then when is the last time I can say good bye to her?

Time only moves forward so once its gone its gone forever and you cannot turn back time.

If I could I would have married an orphan.

A is 12 hours and 5 minutes before she dies.

B is 6 minutes after she died.

C is 12 hours and 10 minutes before she dies.

D is 3 minutes after she died.

Of course it its my MIL I hope its B cos

she already dead for 6 minutes!

Edited July 1, 2023 by Jamesc

[PSP415]

D

Difficult ah? Then it's D lah. 

😅😂😂😂 The kiddos of today sibei smart one. It's the parents of yesterday and yesteryears that comprain. 

Crock, I mean clock am and pm plus England comprehension, tokgong question. 

Yada-ing. Stay safe all. Cheers 

[Kxbc]

Wife showed it to me just now. We both selected D but the answer is supposedly A because it just takes another 12h 5 min to reach the NEXT 12pm. D will take 23h 57min to reach the NEXT 12pm.

I think A is only right if it is to the NEXT 12pm.

Normal person's D answer is right because there is no mention it must be the NEXT 12pm.

It's just another smart aleck KNN type of question.

[Jamesc]

On 7/1/2023 at 5:52 PM, Kxbc said:

Wife showed it to me just now. We both selected D but the answer is supposedly A because it just takes another 12h 5 min to reach the NEXT 12pm. D will take 23h 57min to reach the NEXT 12pm.

I think A is only right if it is to the NEXT 12pm.

Normal person's D answer is right because there is no mention it must be the NEXT 12pm.

It's just another smart aleck KNN type of question.

Yup this type of question the most obvious answer D is not the right one.

After a bit of thinking A becomes the correct answer.

 

[Theoldjaffa]

On 7/1/2023 at 3:55 PM, Blueray said:

‘What is the closest time to midnight?’: Maths question for kids causes confusion

On the face of it, it is a rather straightforward question.

But a maths question for children about time that was posted on social media has gone viral, racking up 1.4 million views after leaving people vacillating between more than one seemingly valid answer.

The problem was posted on Twitter by user @yawdmontweet from Jamaica, who said the question “hurt his head”.

The question was: “What is the closest time to midnight?”

The following answer options were provided – A : 11.55am, B : 12.06am, C : 11.50am and D : 12.03am.

Social media users appeared to have been thrown off by the question, and commented with different answers.

Many thought the answer was D, because it is only three minutes away from midnight.

But others countered that 12.03am is the closest after midnight, not to midnight, because time moves forward.

Going by that logic, the answer should be A, they said, since 11.55am is 12 hours and 5 minutes to midnight. 12.03am would be 23 hours and 57 minutes to midnight, and thus the furthest.

Many Twitter users disagreed, arguing that the question relates to proximity, not chronology.

Some respondents said the question was confusing because of how it was worded. There was no indication of “which midnight” the question was referring to.

For one person, the solution was simple: Ask artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, which said D was the right answer.

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/what-is-the-closest-time-to-midnight-maths-question-for-kids-causes-confusion

I chose D. 

 

 

If it’s a math question it’s D.

if it’s an English question it’s A.

The person who set this question and the one who vetted the paper, both cmi.

An exam question needs to be clear, not ambiguous.

[Lala81]

On 7/1/2023 at 6:08 PM, Theoldjaffa said:

If it’s a math question it’s D.

if it’s an English question it’s A.

The person who set this question and the one who vetted the paper, both cmi.

An exam question needs to be clear, not ambiguous.

Yes it's poorly set. It's more to teach English. 

 

[mersaylee]

It's neither a Math nor English question...it's a question in law paper for law students to argue till the cow peh cow bu grades cum home...😁