What's the answer?

Train Waiting · August 01, 2019, 08:27:42 PM

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 · August 01, 2019, 08:40:53 PM

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

?

dannyboy · August 01, 2019, 08:43:54 PM

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 · August 01, 2019, 08:45:17 PM

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 · August 01, 2019, 08:46:49 PM

agree with you there dannyboy

njee20 · August 01, 2019, 09:23:53 PM

Quote from: dannyboy on August 01, 2019, 03:50:18 PM
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 · August 01, 2019, 10:44:25 PM

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 · August 01, 2019, 10:50:25 PM

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 · August 02, 2019, 01:25:44 AM

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 · August 02, 2019, 05:02:50 AM

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 · August 02, 2019, 05:31:09 AM

the same conclusion doing mental arithmetic i had

Bealman · August 02, 2019, 05:40:10 AM

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

crewearpley40 · August 02, 2019, 05:54:09 AM

You glad you did not teach mathematics

Bealman · August 02, 2019, 06:00:55 AM

I taught Physics - lot of maths involved!

crewearpley40 · August 02, 2019, 06:07:17 AM

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