This riddle often confuses people due to its wording, but let's clarify the calculations step by step.
1. Initially, the friends collectively paid $30 for the clock, $10 each.
2. The shopkeeper returned $5 to the friends, meaning they effectively paid $25 for the clock ($30 - $5).
3. The shopkeeper then kept $2 for himself, leaving $23 ($25 - $2).
4. The friends received $1 back each, so they effectively paid $9 each ($10 - $1).
5. If we add up the amount each friend paid ($9 + $9 + $9), it equals $27, not $29.
6. There's no missing $1; the confusion arises from trying to reconcile the $27 paid by the friends and the $2 kept by the shopkeeper, which are unrelated sums.
In short, the math error lies in trying to add the $2 kept by the shopkeeper to the $27 paid by the friends. There's no logical connection between these two sums. The total amount paid by the friends ($27) and the amount kept by the shopkeeper ($2) are two separate and unrelated amounts.
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