This child's arithmetic question seems to be doing the rounds on Facebook at the moment as a poll.
So far the results are:
28: 44,870 votes
26: 532,475 votes
30: 60,095 votes
0: 800,597 votes
Who says standards of mathematics are slipping eh? 
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2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2-2+2 x 0?
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Posted 7 months ago #
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It's 0, right...?
Posted 7 months ago # -
what's the operator precedence ?
Posted 7 months ago # -
Who says standards of mathematics are slipping eh?
The smug?Posted 7 months ago # -
0 isn't it?
Posted 7 months ago # -
BODMAS? if so, 26
Posted 7 months ago # -
26 assuming conventional precedence.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Anything multiplied by 0 will give an answer of 0.
Posted 7 months ago # -
BODMAS? if so, 26
26 assuming conventional precedence.Hurrah, the engineers arrive
Posted 7 months ago # -
Lol
Posted 7 months ago # -
Hmm. Maths is dumb. If you have something and then multiple it by nothing, then how can the something that you had suddenly become nothing? Where's the logic in that?
Posted 7 months ago # -
Anything multiplied by 0 will give an answer of 0.
it's only the last 2 that is multiplied by 0.
2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2-2+(2 x 0)
Posted 7 months ago # -
don simon - Member
Anything multiplied by 0 will give an answer of 0.Yes it will. But your still wrong
Posted 7 months ago # -
I'd be interested in the professions/jobs of anyone who does not think this is 0.
My 9 year old strolled past - saw this thread and laughed - saying "anything multiplied by zero is zero... isn't it..."
Any arguments about this will be about the way it is written and what it "means"
Posted 7 months ago # -
Engineer. And it is not zero
Posted 7 months ago # -
My 9 year old strolled past - saw this thread and laughed - saying "anything multiplied by zero is zero... isn't it..."
Tell her maths teacher!
Posted 7 months ago # -
And there we go... yes we all remember BODMAS from school... but in the real world the operations are performed sequentially unless the brackets are explicit...
Posted 7 months ago # -
Software Engineer - it's 26
Posted 7 months ago # -
Surely, the only way to have this not equalling zero, is if there were some brackets missed off the op...?
Posted 7 months ago # -
Should be 26. Multiply / divide operations take precedence over add / subtract, then you evaluate left to right. So, you've got the first twelve 2's for a total of 28, minus 2 to see if you're being observant to make 26, then plus (2 x 0) to still equal 26.
EDIT: Wow, a lot of posts whilst I typed that. Never heard of BODMAS etc.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Yes it will. But your still wrong
How can that be both wrong and right.
Any number multiplied by zero is zero. The answer to the problem stated above might be different from that statement, but there is nothing to connect the two. Linguist who might be considered cunning.Posted 7 months ago # -
It's very worrying when something like this has more people picking the wrong answer!
To agree with those above, the answer is 26.
It's just unfortunate that there isn't an additional 1 at the front of the list, then it could have been in RPN...
Posted 7 months ago # -
I'd be interested in the professions/jobs of anyone who does not think this is 0.
I'd suspect they'll be mostly software geeks or engineers.
Software Engineer myself, so I know it's not zero
Posted 7 months ago # -
I'd be interested in the professions/jobs of anyone who does not think this is 0.
Engineer - 26
Posted 7 months ago # -
26. Jeebus weeps.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Surely, the only way to have this not equalling zero, is if there were some brackets missed off the op...?
no, because it's convention to do the multiplication bit first, in the absence of any brackets.
Posted 7 months ago # -
don simon - Member
Yes it will. But your still wrongHow can that be both wrong and right.
Any number multiplied by zero is zero. The answer to the problem stated above might be different from that statement, but there is nothing to connect the two.True
Posted 7 months ago # -
Here's the working for those struggling:
2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2-2+2 x 0
= (2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2-2) + (2 x 0)
= (26) + (0)
= 26Those getting zero are reading it as (2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2-2+2) x 0 which is wrong.
Posted 7 months ago # -
I'd be interested in the professions/jobs of anyone who does not think this is 0.
I work in IT, but that's not why I know it's not zero. I know it's not zero because I went to school.
Posted 7 months ago # -
my 9 & 11 yr-olds say it's zero (9yr - anything x zero is zero) and 32 (11yr - saw them all as plusses on her 1 second skim
)how many lashes of the cat for each ?
Posted 7 months ago # -
This is basic GSCE maths by the way
I'd ask the zero folk what they think 2 + 3 x 5 - 4 is?
(Hint: it's 13)
Posted 7 months ago # -
Engineer - 26
minus 26 !! - jees, you don't build anyhting important do you IanM ?Posted 7 months ago # -
I've reached the dizzy heights of 46 years old without ever knowing that pedmas thing.
Should I be bothered? (i'm not...)
Posted 7 months ago # -
Mech Eng - 26.
What's infinity times zero then?
Posted 7 months ago #
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