Electricians should know there basic maths.....DO YOU!!!!

[Darkwood]

What is the answer to this equation;

4X4+4X4+4-4X4.

This isn't a trick question but hopefully ill show a confliction of answers which il explain why later....

 

[telectrix]

reading it as i just did, the answer is 4. but there should be brackets to avoid confusion.

 

[colshaws]

320 if no brackets used

 

[Darkwood]

reading it as i just did, the answer is 4. but there should be brackets to avoid confusion.

It has purposely no brackets for this little experiment im going to show you hopefully something that will supprise you or even shock you that you were not aware of.

 

[RmBo_0]

Bodmas

 

[chrisg1979]

320 if my maths is up to scratch

 

[telectrix]

or are you using this type of 4X4?

 

[Darkwood]

no clues just give me your answer

 

[Octopus]

how about zero!

 

[Darkwood]

Its not a trick question Tel ... the sum is as it reads the difference will be how each person decides to work it out and there will be varying answers of which ill explain but their is only one correct answer of which hasn't been posted yet.

 

[colshaws]

changed my mind 20

 

[Megavolt]

I get 20

 

[Octopus]

Or 672 ?

 

[Sintra]

I get 20

 

[Darkwood]

Think Murdoch's been on the sherbet lol

 

[Megavolt]

Come on then put us out of are misery

 

[Sintra]

Just got 240 that time lol :lol:

 

[ian.settle1]

20........

 

[stef]

Multiplications first then the sums if I remember my old school days, long time ago...

 

[HandySparks]

20

If products take priority over sums.

Edit: That'll teach me to have the page open for ages before answering.

 

[KAS1]

16..................................

- - - Updated - - -

I mean 32 lol

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

Off t'nut 4X4+4

 

[KAS1]

128 now, can't decide if or where any brackets would be lol

 

[Octopus]

Brilliant. We should be economists.

 

[CTID]

20

or

4x4+4

 

[KAS1]

96 that time hmmmmmmm I give up, if it's wages I'll go for the 320

 

[Darkwood]

The true answer is 20 .... the world follows the BODMAS or PEMDAS systems which give same answer..
Brackets off,Division,multiplication,addition,subtraction.

so no brackets to worry about then
4x4 + 4x4 +4 -4x4
16 + 16 +4 -16 =20

The confusion arises because the uk messed up the teaching system and dropped the enphasis of BODMAS and simplified it by always using brackets to show order, this meant that we got so used to brackets we forgot about the BODMAS rule and when we see a sum without brackets we assume its a progressive sum left to right but this is incorrect, when no brackets are present BODMAS takes over and should still be used once any brackets you have have been removed.
Most of us were failed by teachings and even modern maths teachers are having to be re-educated about it and enphasise it more as the rest of the world uses this or similar methods.

 

[Darkwood]

4+6X3 =22

Now you either knew this or ive just re-educated you on something you lost in your memory because of teaching practices.

 

[Octopus]

The true answer is 20 .... the world follows the BODMAS or PEMDAS systems which give same answer..
Brackets off,Devision,multiplication,addition,subtraction.

so no brackets to worry about then
4x4 + 4x4 +4 -4x4
16 + 16 +4 -16 =20

The confusion arises because the uk messed up the teaching system and dropped the enphasis of BODMAS and simplified it by always using brackets to show order, this meant that we got so used to brackets we forgot about the BODMAS rule and when we see a sum without brackets we assume its a progressive sum left to right but this is incorrect, when no brackets are present BODMAS takes over and should still be used once any brackets you have have been removed.
Most of us were failed by teachings and even modern maths teachers are having to be re-educated about it and enphasise it more as the rest of the world uses this or similar methods.

Just gave it to my 12 year old daughter who came up with 20 in about 1 min

 

[KAS1]

That does bring back a far distant memory lurking in the background somewhere and yes you are correct that's the first thing most of us do is insert brackets to try to simplify things and in doing so come up with the wrong answers.