Use of brackets

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clarendon
Posts: 253
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2008 6:15 pm
Location: Birmingham

Use of brackets

Post by clarendon »

My 9 year old son has been set some maths for the half term. It involves using brackets to obtain different answers using the same set of numbers. He's struggling with them and I'm baffled!

One q is : insert as many brackets as you need to make this calc. total 100 with both calculators:-
4 + 1 x 8 + 3 - 6 x 3 x 2 - 2

Please can someone tell me what is meant by both calculators and what is the method used to solve this sort of problem? We've tried all manner of combinations and failed to reach 100.

Son says he was given this by a supply teacher on the day they broke up and was given no advice on what to do other that the acronym BIDMAS.
I'd appreciate any enlightenment please!!
SunlampVexesEel
Posts: 1245
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:31 pm

Re: Use of brackets

Post by SunlampVexesEel »

clarendon wrote:My 9 year old son has been set some maths for the half term. It involves using brackets to obtain different answers using the same set of numbers. He's struggling with them and I'm baffled!

One q is : insert as many brackets as you need to make this calc. total 100 with both calculators:-
4 + 1 x 8 + 3 - 6 x 3 x 2 - 2

Please can someone tell me what is meant by both calculators and what is the method used to solve this sort of problem? We've tried all manner of combinations and failed to reach 100.

Son says he was given this by a supply teacher on the day they broke up and was given no advice on what to do other that the acronym BIDMAS.
I'd appreciate any enlightenment please!!

( 4 + 1 ) x ( 8 + 3 - 6 ) x ((3 x 2) - 2)

Isn't it BODMAS but there does seem to be a http://www.mathagonyaunt.co.uk/INTERACT ... ation.html
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Wallasey
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:28 am
Location: Wirral

Post by Wallasey »

Yes it used to be BODMAS but now is BIDMAS! It stands for

Brackets
Indices
Division
Multiplication
Addition
Subtraction

meaning do anything in brackets first, then indices if there are any, etc.

No idea what 'both calculators' means though.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

Both calculators, I suspect, refers to the 'old fashioned' type that did not always get the 'right' answer because they worked from left to right rather than using BIDMAS and the newer ones that do.

It sounds like a homework that was not really thought through ..
clarendon
Posts: 253
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2008 6:15 pm
Location: Birmingham

Post by clarendon »

Thanks for the help... had no idea that "double" brackets could be used!
You're right Guest 55.. as I said the homework was given on the Fri they broke up and by a supply who didn't offer any explanation. It's from a Scholastic paper aimed at 9 - 11 yr olds.
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