Whats the answer to this maths question?

[Mr Burns]

4+4=8 someone elses turn

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Iggle Piggle - Comfort Blanket = All not being well in the Night Garden

 

[e77]

If a football club goes into administration owing money, how much does the local St John's Ambulance get?

 

[farawaysaint]

326000 people passed high school maths. 41

 

[desprateseagull]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_operations

Operator precedence says multiplacation first.

So the sum is 40 + (40 x 0) + 1 = 40 + 0 + 1 = 41

since when? i alway remember being told work from left to right.. adding/minusing first, then x & /

 

[fork me]

=41

Is the correct answer. BODMAS applies, the m,ultiplication is dine first as if it were in brackets.

 

[drew]

I find it amazing that so many of the 'mathematicians' on here cannot conjour up some logical explanation why BODMAS is used rather than the more logical sequential left to right method (excepting of course if brackets are actually used). Mathematics is probably considered by many to be a logical science but BODMAS goes against the grain.

 

[The Optimist]

It's just convention. The same reason as why 3y is written 3y and not y3. Technically there is nothing wrong with y3.

 

[MediGull]

Hi, this is my first post so please be nice

A lot of people seem to think that working from left to right is the logical method to work out these sums as opposed to BODMAS. Think about Arabic, that's written from right to left so you would get different answers using this seemingly equally logical method. BODMAS is good because it removes any cultural or language barriers so mathematicians and scientists can all come to the same (and correct) answer.

But that's just my two pence worth.

 

[drew]

It's just convention. The same reason as why 3y is written 3y and not y3. Technically there is nothing wrong with y3.

Maybe because y3 could be confused with Y cubed?

Hi, this is my first post so please be nice

A lot of people seem to think that working from left to right is the logical method to work out these sums as opposed to BODMAS. Think about Arabic, that's written from right to left so you would get different answers using this seemingly equally logical method. BODMAS is good because it removes any cultural or language barriers so mathematicians and scientists can all come to the same (and correct) answer.

But that's just my two pence worth.

I hear what your saying and at least it is an attempt at a logical reasoning but using your argument regarding arabic, is 4-5*3*8-6+5*2 the same as 2*5+6-8*3*5-4 ?

 

[The Optimist]

It's just convention. The same reason as why 3y is written 3y and not y3. Technically there is nothing wrong with y3.

I think I'm wrong, it's not just convention. I think it's all because of algebra. If the rule was left to right then 3x + 4y would mean 3 times x plus 4 and then times everything by y. For example if x = 2 and y = 5 then the left to right approach gives 3x2 = 6, 6+4 = 10, 10x5 = 50. Therefore to get 3x + 4y to mean what it currently means but using the left to right approach you would need 3x + (4y). All the extra brackets required using the left to right approach would get very annoying and hence BODMAS.

 

[spongy]

7 girls get on a bus, each girl has 7 bags, each bag has 7 big cats, each big cat has 7 little cats, how many legs get on the bus?

 

[AuntAgonist]

Are they cute girls?

 

[spongy]

Are they cute girls?

If it makes it any easier for you.......

 

[AuntAgonist]

Oh, it did. But why are all the cats in bags? Are they going to be thrown off the end of the pier? What was the number of the bus?

 

[fork me]

Peanut roaster JR. speaking here. (aged 12)

In my opinion I think the awsnser is 1.

This is because in modern maths, which is being taught at school now, BODMAS is a different section of maths rather than a general rule. So naturally in maths you would work out the question left to right... unless you have been notified that the question being asked is to be worked out using BODMAS. In this particuler question you have not been notified of having to use BODMAS.

PS. Can I get into Dick's bar please?!

It's actually the other way round, BODMAS should ALWAYS apply unless otherwise specified. When you move onto GCSE and (should you choose it) A' level maths, you'll be expected to remember that.

 

[SeagullSongs]

A' level maths, you'll be expected to remember that.

In A-level maths, we use brackets to avoid confusion

 

[fork me]

Sigh* There is no answer otherwise 1=2 in so far as

0 x 1 = 0
0 x 2 = 0
There for 0 x 1 = 0 x 2
Dividing by zero
0/0 x 1 = 0/0 x 2
therefore 1 = 2

So there is no defined answer to your question.

Wrong. The reason what you posted doesn't work is because 0/0 is undefined, 0x0=0.

0 to the power of 0 however, is also undefined. (On the grounds that 0 to the power of anything else in zero, whereas anything else to the power of zero is 1)

 

[AuntAgonist]

It's actually the other way round, BODMAS should ALWAYS apply unless otherwise specified. When you move onto GCSE and (should you choose it) A' level maths, you'll be expected to remember that.

Aye, this. I can't remember what maths I was taught when I was twelve, because I'd already learnt it myself (being a bit of a nerd) so never paid any attention. But I can't believe they're teaching some "dunce maths" that will have to be unlearnt in a couple of years. What for? To make it "easier"?

 

[fork me]

I find it amazing that so many of the 'mathematicians' on here cannot conjour up some logical explanation why BODMAS is used rather than the more logical sequential left to right method (excepting of course if brackets are actually used). Mathematics is probably considered by many to be a logical science but BODMAS goes against the grain.

The main use of advanced mathematics is in the various science disciplines, for various reasons, BODMAS is a lot more logical than "doing things in order".