I have recently noticed an increase in the improper use of decimals in the signs around my community. Stores of countless variety, even large chains, are incorrectly pricing objects or perhaps offering outrageous deals. Considering not one store has offered me change for my proffered penny I must conclude that the signage is incorrect.
Case in point note the signs in the Portland, ME fishmonger's shop at left.
.75¢ per clam, but 90¢ per oyster.
Do you notice the difference?
Look carefully.
Oysters are selling for a little less than $1.00 each. Ninety cents per oyster. That seems reasonable, right?
Clams are going for .75¢ each. At first glance this may seem as though the clams are 15¢ less than the oysters. Not so.
.75¢ means that the clams are less than a penny each!
Not a bad deal, eh?
My goal is to find, photograph, and make an effort to fix any such signs that I come across. I also want to encourage my students, my friends, and decimal-conscious strangers to do the same and to post about it.
The math blog isn't the place to keep track of all of this "mispointage" so in the coming weeks I plan on creating a
(Students in my class can earn points or possibly tasty treats for good images of decimal errors!)
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