Poll: Solve a simple math problem

[Ironic]

So a couple weeks ago I bumped into this math "problem":
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1x0=?
[small]And yes in this case x means multiplication.(what? I'm a lazy typer that's too unfamiliar with doing math online. Paper rocks)[/small]

The answer is pretty simple, I got it on my first try. But a lot of my friends and classmates couldn't solve it right away; and most of them are college students which is really sad. This is stuff you should study in middle school. Take a stab at it!

Divided by 0? I thought it was multiplied by 0. Dividing by 0 would get you infinity, even if you use the correct order of operations.

You sir, deserve a medal and everyone else that knows better than to divide be zero deserves a star. I wasn't paying attention (fuck!) but you're right it is multiplied.

Spoiler: Need a hint?

I'm kidding, you don't get one.

Using BIDMAS it become
10 - 6+(1x0) = ?
10-6=4

You need to correct your poll. It's 4.

 

[Lullabye]

crap missed the negative. voted 16.
So the multiplication goes first, so that means its a zero
then there is a negative one in there. so we at negative 1.
leaving 15 positives.
so basically (-1)+15=14.

 

[SniperMacFox]

Someone shoot me, before my brain tells me to do something important instead of recklessly selecting zero...

 

[madwarper]

Spoiler

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1x0=?
[small]And yes in this case x means multiplication.(what? I'm a lazy typer that's too unfamiliar with doing math online. Paper rocks)[/small]

To work out which bits to do first, use BEDMAS

BED Multiplication Addition Subtraction

So it's:
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1x0=? multiplication comes first

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+(1x0)=? 1x0=0

(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1)=? Then addition

(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1)=? (10)-(6)=?

10-6=? Then subtraction

10-6=4

Answer=4, wait, that's not even in the poll. What's going on?

Spoiler

So a couple weeks ago I bumped into this math "problem":
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1x0=?
[small]And yes in this case x means multiplication.(what? I'm a lazy typer that's too unfamiliar with doing math online. Paper rocks)[/small]

The answer is pretty simple, I got it on my first try. But a lot of my friends and classmates couldn't solve it right away; and most of them are college students which is really sad. This is stuff you should study in middle school. Take a stab at it!

Divided by 0? I thought it was multiplied by 0. Dividing by 0 would get you infinity, even if you use the correct order of operations.

You sir, deserve a medal and everyone else that knows better than to divide be zero deserves a star. I wasn't paying attention (fuck!) but you're right it is multiplied.

Spoiler: Need a hint?

I'm kidding, you don't get one.

Using BIDMAS it become
10 - 6+(1x0) = ?
10-6=4

You need to correct your poll. It's 4.

You're both WRONG.

Multiplication and Division are THE. SAME. THING. 8/4 = 8 * (1/4)
Addition and Subtraction are THE. SAME. THING; 2 - 1 = 2 + (-1)

Multiplication is on SAME priority as Division.
Addition is on the SAME priority as Subtraction.

Adding brackets around the additions, because you think Addition has a higher priority, is WRONG.

 

[matsugawa]

if you mulitply anything with 0 it is 0 no matter how big the numbers are.. simple as that

That's what I thought, until I remembered Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. You're not supposed to "read" the equation left to right like a sentence. It's a single entity that you're supposed to attack one component at a time, starting with Parentheses, then Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and lastly Subtraction.

In this case, only one integer is being multiplied by zero, the last "1" which leaves the rest of the equation to be tackled on its own, sans multiplication.

 

[thethingthatlurks]

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1x0=?
[small]And yes in this case x means multiplication.(what? I'm a lazy typer that's too unfamiliar with doing math online. Paper rocks)[/small]

To work out which bits to do first, use BEDMAS

BED Multiplication Addition Subtraction

So it's:
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1x0=? multiplication comes first

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+(1x0)=? 1x0=0

(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1)=? Then addition

(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1)=? (10)-(6)=?

10-6=? Then subtraction

10-6=4

Answer=4, wait, that's not even in the poll. What's going on?

Why are you setting up those parentheses? Were they in the original problem? No? Then don't bloody use them!
The answer is 14, and I'm frankly ashamed that there is anybody here who wouldn't know this.

 

[FinalHeart95]

14. 16 is acceptable enough since it probably means you just missed the minus sign.

The amount of 0s in the poll frightens me though.

 

[aei_haruko]

Divided by 0? I thought it was multiplied by 0. Dividing by 0 would get you infinity, even if you use the correct order of operations.

you can't divide by zero or else you could get 2 to equal one because...
1. Let a and b be equal non-zero quantities
a=b

2. Multiply through by a

a^2+ab
3. Subtract B^2
a^2-b^2=ab-b^2


4. Factor both sides
(a-b)(a+b)=b(a-b)

5. Divide out
a+b=b

6. Observing that
a=b and b+b=b

7. Combine like terms on the left
2b=b


8. Divide by the non-zero b
2=1

Q.E.D.
The fallacy is in line 5: the progression from line 4 to line 5 involves division by a − b, which is zero since a equals b. Since division by zero is undefined, the argument is invalid. Deriving that the only possible solution for lines 5, 6, and 7, namely that a = b = 0, this flaw is evident again in line 7, where one must divide by b (0) in order to produce the fallacy (not to mention that the only possible solution denies the original premise that a and b are nonzero). A similar invalid proof would be to say that since 2 × 0 = 1 × 0 (which is true), one can divide by zero to obtain 2 = 1. An obvious modification "proves" that any two real numbers are equal. which is false
I don't mean to sound condescending, and if i do, my apologies.

 

[Eldermage]

Isnt the calculation order done like this?
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1X0=?
1x0 first... results in 0
which makes the calculation become:
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+0

So I guess it's 14?

 

[Squidgeididdly]

I've been under the impression for a very long time that multiplying anything by zero makes it equal zero.
So would it all be zero?
I think it would all equal zero.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

Multiplication is on SAME priority as Division.
Addition is on the SAME priority as Subtraction.

Adding brackets around the additions, because you think Addition has a higher priority is WRONG.

Oh yeah, Boy it's been a long time since I took math class.

*takes off glasses* Looks like I *puts glasses back on* got my priorities mixed up.

 

[aei_haruko]

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1x0=?
[small]And yes in this case x means multiplication.(what? I'm a lazy typer that's too unfamiliar with doing math online. Paper rocks)[/small]

To work out which bits to do first, use BEDMAS

BED Multiplication Addition Subtraction

So it's:
1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1x0=? multiplication comes first

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+(1x0)=? 1x0=0

(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1)=? Then addition

(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)-(1+1+1+1+1+1)=? (10)-(6)=?

10-6=? Then subtraction

10-6=4

Answer=4, wait, that's not even in the poll. What's going on?

Why are you setting up those parentheses? Were they in the original problem? No? Then don't bloody use them!
The answer is 14, and I'm frankly ashamed that there is anybody here who wouldn't know this.

I see where you were going... but...
the ones are individual terms, not terms grouped together under a grouping sign( parenthasees)

 

[Dessembrae]

crap :/
I though there were 18 ones so I voted 15, a well after I re-counted I got 17 ones so just count my vote as a 14

 

[Condor219]

Counting the absolute spam of ones was harder than the actual math. The answer's 14, because there are 15 additions of one and a single subtraction of one, with the addition of zero meaning nothing. so 15-1=14

And yes, you were taught PEMDAS (or BEDMAS or whatever. the discrepancy between the letter is only more proof), but it's more of a P/E/MD/AS than having them all together, and you do the operations from left to right.

I just hope nobody posts the "What is 10/2(3+4)" question (hint, the answer is 35).

 

[aei_haruko]

I've been under the impression for a very long time that multiplying anything by zero makes it equal zero.
So would it all be zero?
I think it would all equal zero.

thts true, however, one must put them into proper terms.
Like you can't treat the entire problem as one entity if it was
(1+1=1=1...etc)x0 then you'd be right, but under this it's individual terms, not a grouped term like
(x)+(x)+(x)+(x)+1x0=4 is
X=4 due to the associative ( I think) because
x+x+x+x=(x)+(x)+(x)+(x)
works for all real numbers

 

[SenorNemo]

14, even though I thought for a minute it was 4 because I read it as (1+etc.)-(1+etc.). Damn PEMDAS. Anyway, the problem isn't with people not knowing how to do math, the problem is with the bizarre way the problem is transcribed. If you ever have to solve a problem like this one, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Ogargd]

The people whom got 0 and not 14 really sadden me.

 

[Zenron]

Yeah, answer was pretty obvious. I see these around facebook all the time. Still remember BODMAS from the start of high school(yeah, I know some people call it by other names like PEDMAS).

Anyway, I tried dividing by zero on my calculator and my computer made a funny sound...

 

[Shreddie]

Even though I've seen this question pop up a few times on The Escapist, the responses never seem to get any less fun to read. Also, I can say with 100% certainty that the answer is 14. It's an oddly constructed problem though so I wouldn't blame people who don't do math very often for getting it wrong.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

Ah math...we meet again...

*skips off to draw rainbows*

I think I got it right with 14 although pulling the minus sign in the middle of the sum on people during hayfever season is just mean....

really