Hard Copies
The solution to your April Brain Bogglers states that "if two percentages are to multiply out to 100 percent, one of the percentages must be greater than 100 percent and one must be less." But I must point out that it is also impossible to generate an exact copy using only the 125 percent and 10 percent keys, or only the 128 percent and 10 percent keys. For example, using the 125 percent key 31 times and the 10 percent key 3 times, or the 128 percent key 28 times and the 10 percent key 3 times, will lead to copies between 100 and 101 percent of the original but will not generate an exact copy. It will also lead to illegible copies, an irritated secretary, and a broken machine. John L. Drost Marshall University Huntington, W. Va.
Assuming a standard 8.5-by-11-inch original document, could a copier output ...
