Step-by-Step Reasoning
1. Clarify what is being compared
The question asks us to compare two bags: one containing steel ingots weighing 9.99 pounds and another containing fluffy cotton weighing 10.01 pounds.
2. Check the actual weight
Despite our intuition that steel is “heavier” than cotton by density, the problem specifically states the total weight in pounds of each bag. Since 9.99 < 10.01, the 10.01-pound bag of cotton is heavier in total mass than the 9.99-pound bag of steel.
3. No trick in the measurement
Each weight is given in the same units (pounds). This is crucial because if different units or measurement standards were used (e.g., 9.99 kilograms versus 10.01 pounds), we would need to convert them to the same unit to compare. But here, both are simply in pounds.
4. Conclusion
The bag of cotton weighing 10.01 pounds is heavier than the bag of steel weighing 9.99 pounds—even though steel is denser than cotton. The numeric value of the total weight is the deciding factor.
Answer
A 10.01-pound bag of fluffy cotton is heavier than a 9.99-pound bag of steel ingots, because 10.01 pounds is strictly greater than 9.99 pounds.
Reference
• Basic arithmetic: 10.01 is greater than 9.99.
• For a playful twist on a similar concept, see any version of the riddle “What weighs more—a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?” In that classic riddle, both weigh the same; here, the numbers differ.
Step-by-Step Reasoning 1. Clarify what is being compared The question asks us to compare two bags: one containing steel ingots weighing 9.99 pounds and another containing fluffy cotton weighing 10.01 pounds. 2. Check the actual weight Despite our intuition that steel is “heavier” than cotton by density, the problem specifically states the total weight in pounds of each bag. Since 9.99 < 10.01, the 10.01-pound bag of cotton is heavier in total mass than the 9.99-pound bag of steel. 3. No trick in the measurement Each weight is given in the same units (pounds). This is crucial because if different units or measurement standards were used (e.g., 9.99 kilograms versus 10.01 pounds), we would need to convert them to the same unit to compare. But here, both are simply in pounds. 4. Conclusion The bag of cotton weighing 10.01 pounds is heavier than the bag of steel weighing 9.99 pounds—even though steel is denser than cotton. The numeric value of the total weight is the deciding factor.
Answer
A 10.01-pound bag of fluffy cotton is heavier than a 9.99-pound bag of steel ingots, because 10.01 pounds is strictly greater than 9.99 pounds.
Reference • Basic arithmetic: 10.01 is greater than 9.99. • For a playful twist on a similar concept, see any version of the riddle “What weighs more—a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?” In that classic riddle, both weigh the same; here, the numbers differ.