PEDMAS / BODMAS rule

[scott-atkinson]

Hi again,
Let’s see if we can prove or disprove any of the posted theories.

There were 4 boys with quarters in their pockets.
The first boy had 4 quarters.
The second had twice as many as the first boy.
The third boy had 3 quarters.
The fourth boy had 3 times as many as the first boy.
How many quarters total did they have?

Try this:
4 + 4x2 + 3 + 3x4 =??
Looks a little like the original problem that was posted.

Is the answer:
88 quarters
or
27 quarters
or something else.

I think most of us know the answer, but how did we arrive at the correct answer.
Don

Well of course the answer is 27....

But I think the real qustion is why are four boys out alone with with less than a dollar between them, they can only be up to no good, perhaps their shoplifters, or car jackers, maybe they have just spent all their money on some sweets, and they are just about to divide them between them and the quarters is all they have left...oh my the possibilities are endless...and thus BODMAS can't possibly be applied as there is multiple answers...

 

[scott-atkinson]

I paid attention at school, I got a whole CSE Grade 2 in Maths..

Seriously though I don't ever remember using this rule at school, i remember using brackets to seperate sums within a sum, but when there was no brackets it was a simple left to right equation

Come to think of it maybe that's why I only got a CSE Grade 2, and not an O Level... Duh!! Now you tell me...

 

[rodmc]

I certainly remember BODMAS, also applying brackets where there are none to denote doing the divisions multiplications and before additions and subtractions

ie 4 + (4x2) + 3 + (3x4)