After the first sale, the cow is purchased again, this time for $1,100. At this point, the financial position changes because the money spent is higher than the previous purchase price. This creates a new starting point for the second transaction cycle.
It is important to note that the previous profit of $200 does not disappear, but it is already realized. The second purchase simply begins a new calculation cycle. Many people mistakenly combine all numbers at once, which leads to incorrect answers. The correct approach is to separate each stage clearly.
Step 3: Second Sale of the Cow
The cow is then sold again, this time for $1,300. This creates another profit calculation: $1,300 minus $1,100, resulting in a second profit of $200. Just like the first cycle, this is an independent gain that must be recorded separately.
At this stage, both transactions have produced identical profits of $200 each. This symmetry is part of what makes the puzzle visually simple but mentally tricky. People often overthink the structure, assuming hidden logic is involved when in reality it is basic subtraction repeated twice.
