BIDMAS

11 Plus Maths – Preparation and Information

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Hera
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BIDMAS

Post by Hera »

Using BIDMAS I get an answer of 2 for the following question. The actual answer is 8. Can some one explain why? Should I not be using BIDMAS or I am somehow using it incorrectly? Thank you

25-5x4+3
Tinkers
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Re: BIDMAS

Post by Tinkers »

Using bidmas you would do the multiplication first to give you 25-20+3=8
Hera
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Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 3:50 pm

Re: BIDMAS

Post by Hera »

Tinkers wrote:Using bidmas you would do the multiplication first to give you 25-20+3=8
But then shouldn't you do addition before subtraction which would give you 25-20+3 and then 25-23=2. I know that is wrong but still not sure why?
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: BIDMAS

Post by Guest55 »

Hera wrote:But then shouldn't you do addition before subtraction which would give you 25-20+3 and then 25-23=2. I know that is wrong but still not sure why?
You can't 'divorce' the sign and the number so doing addition first gives you 25 + 3 = 28 then 28 - 20 = 8
Hera
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Re: BIDMAS

Post by Hera »

Thank you. Got it now :-)
PurpleDuck
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Re: BIDMAS

Post by PurpleDuck »

Hera wrote:
Tinkers wrote:Using bidmas you would do the multiplication first to give you 25-20+3=8
But then shouldn't you do addition before subtraction which would give you 25-20+3 and then 25-23=2. I know that is wrong but still not sure why?
Also, -20+3 will never give you -23. It is the same as +3-20, so -17. You would only get -23 if there was a bracket in there, in which case you would do the addition in the bracket first, i.e. -(20+3) = -(23) = -23 :)
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Proud_Dad
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Re: BIDMAS

Post by Proud_Dad »

I think this query highlights quite a common misunderstanding of BIDMAS which is due to taking the acronym too literally.

Perhaps the simplest way to get it right is to be aware that, despite what the BIDMAS acronym seems to imply, there is no real ordering between "addition and subtraction". There is also no ordering between "division and multiplication".

So my advice would be if given a sum containing just addition and subtraction (or just multiplication and division) forget BIDMAS and just simply work it out left to right.
JaneEyre
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Re: BIDMAS

Post by JaneEyre »

Proud_Dad wrote: be aware that, despite what the BIDMAS acronym seems to imply, there is no real ordering between "addition and subtraction". There is also no ordering between "division and multiplication".

So my advice would be if given a sum containing just addition and subtraction (or just multiplication and division) forget BIDMAS and just simply work it out left to right.
important point! :D
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: BIDMAS

Post by Guest55 »

I disagree - sometimes there is a 'most efficient way of calculating:

25 + 7 - 5 is best done in the order 25 - 5 + 7 which is quicker than tackling in order.
PurpleDuck
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Re: BIDMAS

Post by PurpleDuck »

Guest55 wrote:I disagree - sometimes there is a 'most efficient way of calculating:

25 + 7 - 5 is best done in the order 25 - 5 + 7 which is quicker than tackling in order.
Very true - that makes a much easier calculation. It relies, though, on a person remembering your original point - that a sign cannot be 'divorced' from a number. It took quite a while for my youngest to learn that the + or - sign belong to the numbers in front of which they are written, and stop ignoring the signs while re-ordering numbers in calculations.
It felt like I hit rock bottom; suddenly, there was knocking from beneath... (anon.)
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