potato math problem

Question

Puzzle: Potatos are made 99% of water and only 1% of "potato stuff". Maddog bought 100 kilograms of potato and left them outside his home, taking a "sun bath". When he was back, he noticed the potatoes had been dried and had, now, only 98% of water in their composition. At that moment, what was the new weight of the potatoes?

Answer 1

99% water means 99 kilograms of water

1% potato means 1 kilogram of potato

the potatoes after the sun bath are now 98% water and therefore 2% potato

the amount of potato did not change; you still have 1 kilogram of potato

1 kilogram of potato represents 2% of the total weight

set up an equation

1 is 2% of what number ?

1=2%*n, where n is the total weight now

1=0.02*n

n=1/0.02

n=100/2

n=50 kilograms of weight for the potatoes now

It's hard to imagine that losing 1% of water results in losing 50 kilograms of weight !!

Another way to look at this problem...

98%=98/100=49/50, 49 kilograms out of 50 kilograms is water and 1 kilogram is potato for a total of 50 kilograms of weight