Today from Bedtime Math: Best Suited for Pets

We are so bummed we didn't see this pet outfit before someone else grabbed it. This is a suit of armor for a guinea pig, posted for sale on the website eBay. Armor is basically metal clothing that knights wore hundreds of years ago when heading into battle, because it protected them from enemies waving swords. Because metal is stiff and heavy, the metal had to be linked together in lots of tiny pieces, like chains, so the outfit could bend like regular clothing. That's why it's called "chain mail" armor. Why a guinea pig would need this is beyond us, even with the awfully cute metal helmet. That said, the suit cost over a thousand dollars, which isn't so cute. Our guinea pigs may have to be brave without it.

Wee ones: If your guinea pig weighs 2 pounds and the little suit of armor weighs 4 pounds, which one weighs more? 

Little kids: Metal armor is really, really heavy. If your dog wanted a chain mail suit, and your dog weighs 20 pounds and the suit of armor weighs half of that, how much does the suit weigh? Bonus: How much do they weigh together, if you had your dog sit in your lap while wearing that? 

Big kids: Maybe you want your own suit of armor for when you play baseball or softball. If you weigh 45 pounds and the suit weighs 20 pounds less, how heavy is the suit?  Bonus: What fraction of your weight does the suit weigh?

Answers:

Wee ones: The armor weighs more - it's actually double! That guinea pig will be exhausted.

Little kids: 10 pounds.  Bonus: 30 pounds.

Big kids: 25 pounds.  Bonus: 5/9 of your weight (5 sets of 5 pounds vs. 9 sets of 5).