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Math(s) problem - puzzle

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  • D dbrenth

    Ding ding ding.

    Brent

    D Offline
    D Offline
    Daniel Pfeffer
    wrote on last edited by
    #10

    "5 factorial" is not a solution; it is simply representing the answer (120) as a different equation. If you were set a problem in a mathematics test 300 - 0.5 x 150 and answered that it is 450 / 2, the teacher would be justified in marking it incomplete because it has not been reduced to the simplest terms.

    Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.

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    • D dbrenth

      My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

      230 - 220 x 0.5

      and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

      Brent

      S Offline
      S Offline
      SeeSharp2
      wrote on last edited by
      #11

      dbrenth wrote:

      the answer was 5!

      five factorial. Unless you were yelling at them. :-D

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      • D dbrenth

        My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

        230 - 220 x 0.5

        and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

        Brent

        L Offline
        L Offline
        Lost User
        wrote on last edited by
        #12

        dbrenth wrote:

        Can you please explain it to him?

        Dear Teacher, dbrenth is a cocky little so and so, who needs to be taken down a peg or two. ;P

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        • D dandy72

          I thought about that...but who provides answers as a factorial?

          Greg UtasG Offline
          Greg UtasG Offline
          Greg Utas
          wrote on last edited by
          #13

          I think it was meant as a riddle rather than something that actually happened.

          Robust Services Core | Software Techniques for Lemmings | Articles
          The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.

          <p><a href="https://github.com/GregUtas/robust-services-core/blob/master/README.md">Robust Services Core</a>
          <em>The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.</em></p>

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          • D dbrenth

            My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

            230 - 220 x 0.5

            and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

            Brent

            C Offline
            C Offline
            CPallini
            wrote on last edited by
            #14

            You teacher was right, and told you the correct result was actually 76. Could you please tell us why?

            "In testa che avete, Signor di Ceprano?" -- Rigoletto

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            • Greg UtasG Greg Utas

              I think it was meant as a riddle rather than something that actually happened.

              Robust Services Core | Software Techniques for Lemmings | Articles
              The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.

              D Offline
              D Offline
              dandy72
              wrote on last edited by
              #15

              Sometimes I'm just being a little bit too literal. Daniel's answer above suggests we're both on the same page on this one. :-)

              Greg UtasG 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • D dbrenth

                My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

                230 - 220 x 0.5

                and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

                Brent

                O Offline
                O Offline
                obermd
                wrote on last edited by
                #16

                The answer is 120. The way you get "5" is via a flaw in all four function calculators that don't follow basic math order of operations. By the way, the Windows calculator in Standard mode has this same flaw but it works properly in scientific mode.

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                • L Lost User

                  dbrenth wrote:

                  Can you please explain it to him?

                  Dear Teacher, dbrenth is a cocky little so and so, who needs to be taken down a peg or two. ;P

                  O Offline
                  O Offline
                  obermd
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #17

                  And marked down for not completing the solution.

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                  • C CPallini

                    You teacher was right, and told you the correct result was actually 76. Could you please tell us why?

                    "In testa che avete, Signor di Ceprano?" -- Rigoletto

                    F Offline
                    F Offline
                    Fueled By Decaff
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #18

                    I thought the answer was 78.

                    C 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • F Fueled By Decaff

                      I thought the answer was 78.

                      C Offline
                      C Offline
                      CPallini
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #19

                      42. :-D

                      "In testa che avete, Signor di Ceprano?" -- Rigoletto

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                      • D dandy72

                        Sometimes I'm just being a little bit too literal. Daniel's answer above suggests we're both on the same page on this one. :-)

                        Greg UtasG Offline
                        Greg UtasG Offline
                        Greg Utas
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #20

                        Yeah, you're both on the AR page. :-D

                        Robust Services Core | Software Techniques for Lemmings | Articles
                        The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.

                        <p><a href="https://github.com/GregUtas/robust-services-core/blob/master/README.md">Robust Services Core</a>
                        <em>The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.</em></p>

                        D D 2 Replies Last reply
                        0
                        • C CPallini

                          You teacher was right, and told you the correct result was actually 76. Could you please tell us why?

                          "In testa che avete, Signor di Ceprano?" -- Rigoletto

                          D Offline
                          D Offline
                          Daniel Pfeffer
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #21

                          Octal

                          Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.

                          C 1 Reply Last reply
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                          • D Daniel Pfeffer

                            Octal

                            Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.

                            C Offline
                            C Offline
                            CPallini
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #22

                            Bravo!

                            "In testa che avete, Signor di Ceprano?" -- Rigoletto

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                            • D Daniel Pfeffer

                              You are wrong, the teacher is right. The order of precedence in mathematical operations is (mnemonic PEMDAS): Parentheses Exponentiation Multiplication & Division Addition & Subtraction If two operations have the same precedence, they are evaluated from left to right. Your problem may be rewritten as 230 - (220 x 0.5), the answer to which is obviously not 5.

                              Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.

                              K Offline
                              K Offline
                              Keith Barrow
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #23

                              3! - 1 I think you'll find :) It's curious - nearly everyone I know was taught BODMAS - its the same as PEDMAS, but B=Brackets, O="of". PEDMAS is probably better. Also the great Indian chief "SOH-CAH-TOA". I wonder if they still teach the latter in schools.

                              KeithBarrow.net[^] - It might not be very good, but at least it is free!

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                              • D dbrenth

                                My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

                                230 - 220 x 0.5

                                and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

                                Brent

                                R Offline
                                R Offline
                                Rick York
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #24

                                If you solve it left-to-right, ignoring precedence order, then the answer is 5. An old TI calculator would give you that answer. Today's windows calculator will not: it says 120 because the multiplication is done first.

                                "They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! Damn you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers! Can I get an amen?"

                                P 1 Reply Last reply
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                                • Greg UtasG Greg Utas

                                  Yeah, you're both on the AR page. :-D

                                  Robust Services Core | Software Techniques for Lemmings | Articles
                                  The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.

                                  D Offline
                                  D Offline
                                  dandy72
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #25

                                  :-D

                                  1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • D dbrenth

                                    My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

                                    230 - 220 x 0.5

                                    and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

                                    Brent

                                    OriginalGriffO Offline
                                    OriginalGriffO Offline
                                    OriginalGriff
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #26

                                    And today you learn that nobody likes a smartarse ... :laugh:

                                    "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                    "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                                    "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                                    D D 2 Replies Last reply
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                                    • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                      And today you learn that nobody likes a smartarse ... :laugh:

                                      "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                      D Offline
                                      D Offline
                                      DRHuff
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #27

                                      OriginalGriff wrote:

                                      nobody likes a smartarse

                                      Maybe he should brace himself for the reactions to come?

                                      If you can't laugh at yourself - ask me and I will do it for you.

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                                      • D dandy72

                                        I thought about that...but who provides answers as a factorial?

                                        C Offline
                                        C Offline
                                        CPallini
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #28

                                        Bernoulli?

                                        "In testa che avete, Signor di Ceprano?" -- Rigoletto

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                                        • D dbrenth

                                          My teacher asked me to write a program on the board and solve it. I wrote:

                                          230 - 220 x 0.5

                                          and announced that the answer was 5! My teacher claimed I was incorrect, but I was not. Can you please explain it to him? Thanks Hint: My teacher was quite embarrassed when I actually said the answer out loud.

                                          Brent

                                          C Offline
                                          C Offline
                                          Chris Maunder
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #29

                                          Very clever :thumbsup:

                                          cheers Chris Maunder

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