10 x and y? What does this mean?

I gave him 10 iPads and Computers

Does this mean I gave him 10 ipads and 10 computers or Computers + Ipads = 10?

Sources if any?

Solution 1:

It's ambiguous. It could mean you gave him 10 iPads and 10 Computers. For example if it there was a kit for new employees, so every person got exactly one of each so 'iPad and computer' acts like a single thing.

It could also mean you gave him 10 iPads and an unspecified number of computers. For example, if you let him just grab old computers from storage but you didn't count because they were old and unimportant. But you had to buy the iPads so you knew exactly how many there were.

I'd be very surprised if it meant that you gave something like 3 iPads and 7 Computers. i+C=10 makes sense in math terms, but it's not the most obvious interpretation of the statement.