One shopkeeper sells 3 pens for ₹30. Another sells 5 pens for ₹45
One shopkeeper sells 3 pens for ₹30. Another sells 5 pens for ₹45. Sunita says the second shop is cheaper because you get more pens. Her brother says that is not how you compare. Who is right?
Who do you think is right? Pick one.
The answer: Brother is right
Why
Sunita noticed something true — the second shop does give more pens, and more-for-your-money is the right instinct. The catch is she compared pens while ignoring price; 'more pens' only helps if the price stays fixed, and here it doesn't. To compare fairly, bring both to the SAME footing: price of ONE pen. Shop one: ₹30 for 3 = ₹10 each. Shop two: ₹45 for 5 = ₹9 each. Now they're comparable, and shop two wins — but at ₹9 a pen, not because '5 is more than 3'. Test: 10 sweets for ₹100 vs 3 for ₹30 — the big pack looks generous, yet both are ₹10 each, no deal at all. The brother is right that you can't compare raw counts; find the cost of one, and the second shop is genuinely cheaper.
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