What's the answer?

[Train Waiting]

I made it 1.  The acronyms are new to me.

School days were a long time ago for me, though.

When interviewing Bright Young Things, I have been know to ask them what's twice times the half of two-thirds!

Best wishes.

John

[crewearpley40]

educational games to test  our patience, skills and helping one another on this forum ?

[dannyboy]

You didn't think that the 'N Gauge Forum' was all about n gauge stuff did you?    We could write our own encyclopaedia with the knowledge on here. 

[crewearpley40]

a few medieval brain testers



https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2019/08/so-how-did-northern-train-cities-get-there-names-transpennine-express-finds-out.html

[crewearpley40]

agree with you there dannyboy

[njee20]

See, I said some of you must have gone to posh schools.  . Who decided that if there is no operator, you should insert a multiplication sign! Nobody told me that. 

Always been a thing. 2Y means 2 times Y, you don't need to write a multiplication symbol.

[Bealman]

Exactly. I was taught that multiplication means "lots of"

So 3y means 3 lots of y, in other words, y+y+y, or 3 times y.

[Yet_Another]

As ntpntpntp implies, there is only one correct answer, and that answer is a question. That question is:'What exactly do you mean by "8/2(2+2)"'

[Trainfish]

Microsoft Excel says there's an error in the formula and offers a x before the bracket which means the answer becomes 16. That's what it was when I was at school too so it must be right 

[Platy767]

Let y=(2+2)

2y=8

8/8=1

8/2(2+2)=1. I thought the missing explicit * grouped the 2(2+2) together? And that's how my Sharp calculator calculates the answer to be 1.

It would be 16 if it was expressed as 8/2*(2+2) and the Sharp agrees!

Mark

[crewearpley40]

the same conclusion doing mental arithmetic i had

[Bealman]

Just typing the original expression into the calculator on this phone gives 16.

[crewearpley40]

You glad you did not teach mathematics

[Bealman]

I taught Physics - lot of maths involved! 

[crewearpley40]

Ok george. Probably best not to repeat my physics teacher ' s habits here. I did better at maths, history and cricket.