Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Mumsnet classics

Relive the funniest, most unforgettable threads. For a daily dose of Mumsnet’s best bits, sign up for Mumsnet's daily newsletter.

Original poster

40+40x0+1 ?

539 replies

minimuffy · 09/11/2011 19:48

40 + 40 x 0 + 1 =

A- 1
B- 41
c- 0

I say its B-41 as you need to multiply then add. (from what i remember of standard grade maths the acroymym BOMDAS- brackets off, multiply, divide, add, subtract)

DH says its 1.

please tell he's wrong!

OP posts:
MummyDoIt · 09/11/2011 20:23

What is this BODMAS of which you speak? How did I manage to achieve B in O level maths without being aware of it (and I'd have answered 1, by the way, by working from left to right).

PoppadumPreach · 09/11/2011 20:22

@ atyourcervix

Because each and every letter you type, is turned into a number. (a very simple sort of analogy is morse code - each letter has a dot/dash combination). The numbers however are in"binary" which means they consist only of 1's and 0's (basically this is what digital is all about)

So say for example, an "a" is represented by "101" (it's not, but let's say). The computer ( using smart maths) sends one pulse of electricity down the wires to represent the first "1", then no pulse (to represent the "0", then another pulse to represent the final "1". The computer you are sending it to (mumsnet server) then has to do opposite process to translate these pulses into a letter "a".

This process is repeated for every character you type.

This is only one area where maths is used. Very complex maths is used to send these little pulses (bits) over the Internet (they don't all follow same path).

God I am really boring myself now but in a nutshell the world would look v v v different if we didn't have maths.

You have a phd in maths, don't you??

These numb

Original poster
minimuffy · 09/11/2011 20:22

goodness! i go away for my dinner and come back to all this!

Mr muffy refusing to say that i am right! dick.

but yey! even though i only got a 3 for standard grade maths i got it right and i am awful at sums!

OP posts:
JumpinJellyBeansOnToast · 09/11/2011 20:21

It's 41. Why is there even a debate about this? Hmm

ColdSancerre · 09/11/2011 20:21

Of course the rules still apply if no brackets.

ColdSancerre · 09/11/2011 20:20
  1. Not a whippersnapper sadly.
MarriedToTheGrinch · 09/11/2011 20:20

the answer is 1.

40 plus 40 equals 80.
80 times 0 equals 0.
0 add 1 equals 1.

there are no brackets so therefore other rules do not apply.

Is this one of your DC's homework? If so, how old are they?

PeppermintPanda · 09/11/2011 20:20

I say 42, since that is the answer to life, the universe and everything.

The calculator on my laptop says 1, but what does it know?

I was top set for maths at GCSE. Why have I never heard of BODMAS/BIDMAS/PEMDAS before?

MintAero · 09/11/2011 20:20

where us carol vord when we need her

BeyondThePail · 09/11/2011 20:19

I'll bet ColdSancerre is a whippersnapper.

BeyondThePail · 09/11/2011 20:19

Strange comma.

ASuitableGirl · 09/11/2011 20:19

Definitely 41.

BeyondThePail · 09/11/2011 20:18

I've only heard of BODMAS recently Reality and I reckon,I'm much older than you.

TiggyD · 09/11/2011 20:18

British
Organisation
Delivering
More
Anal
Sex

=BODMAS

BeyondThePail · 09/11/2011 20:17

Strange, like LeBOF, when I first looked at it the numbers around the x looked closer, but I think that's just the type face.

Doing the x first in that sum is right.

MrsChemist · 09/11/2011 20:17

41

I'm on my phone and feeding DS, so can't go into detail, but at it's most basic level, computers work in binary (1 or 0) so it's all about the numbers.

RealityIsADistantMemory · 09/11/2011 20:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ColdSancerre · 09/11/2011 20:17

I was taught it at juniors, Mr Nickle.

PastaLaVista · 09/11/2011 20:16

This has been doing the rounds on the internet for years and years.

blackeyedsusan · 09/11/2011 20:15

erm, were we supposed to have been taught this at school?

ColdSancerre · 09/11/2011 20:12

I was taught it as of, but order makes more sense and BIDMAS makes even more sense. PEMDAS also I think more sensible.

OhYouBadBadkitten · 09/11/2011 20:12

Blush sorry. never knew that was so important to me!

OhYouBadBadkitten · 09/11/2011 20:12

as melody says bodmas=bidmas indices=order not of.

OhYouBadBadkitten · 09/11/2011 20:11

its not 'of' its 'order' the bit when you work out indices.

melodyangel · 09/11/2011 20:10

I know it as BIDMAS

It's the order you do things in maths
so you start with anything in brackets
then any Indices
then Division
then Multiplication
then Addition
And finish with Subtraction.

Although I only know this because DS1 explained it to me. He's very clever, I'm not.

Swipe left for the next trending thread