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:
Blu · 10/11/2011 15:28

Grin at GettingALifeNow.
Vey good.

StrandedBear · 10/11/2011 15:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Tianc · 10/11/2011 15:16

StrandedBear 0 is still a number. It's not something you put in to say "I don't know".

The beauty of maths is that, whichever (correct!) method you use, the same maths expression always leads to the same answer.

We can demonstrate that 40 ÷ 0 is infinity.

40 ÷ 8, say, can be done as repeated subtractions: start with 40 students, take away a team of 8 students, then take away another team of 8 students, etc, until there are no students left. You can subtract 8 five times, so you'll get 5 teams. So 40 ÷ 8 = 5.

Now do the same with 40 ÷ 0.

Start with 40 students. Take away zero students. Take away zero again. Take away zero again... No matter how often you subtract 0 from 40, you still have 40, ie you can repeat the subtraction infinitely many times. So 40 ÷ 0 = infinity.

gettingalifenow · 10/11/2011 14:58

Well, I'm an accountant so I'll just ask -

"what do you want it to be?"

StrandedBear · 10/11/2011 14:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nickelbabe · 10/11/2011 14:24

the calculator on the computer does it correctly.

(the op's sum)

nickelbabe · 10/11/2011 14:23

I miss imaginary numbers. :(

I was thinking about them the other day as I was pondering the square root of -1.
I have no idea why I was pondering the sq root of -1, but i was on the toilet, so maybe that's where i have my genius moments! Grin

GrimmaTheNome · 10/11/2011 14:19

Loony - don't worry, computers can't deal with it either. Many and varied crashes are caused by untrapped divide-by-zero errors. You might get away with a mysterious NaN (Not a Number) appearing.

LoonyRationalist · 10/11/2011 14:08

incidentally out of curiosity I tried out the calculator on my android & is really very clever so I've learnt something too

LoonyRationalist · 10/11/2011 14:07

Thanks for that grimma ;) I have never been able to deal with that concept.

GrimmaTheNome · 10/11/2011 14:02

As discussed already, many calculators are works of the devil incorrect.

zukiecat · 10/11/2011 14:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GrimmaTheNome · 10/11/2011 13:53

Hooray! well done Pirate.

Stranded, do you really think introducing imaginary numbers is going to help some of this shower? Grin

Or shall we see if 40 + 40/0 + 1 will make someones head explode?

piratecat · 10/11/2011 13:50

sorry grimma Grin

piratecat · 10/11/2011 13:49

lol, i read the thread. i LEARNT something today hurrah,

it's 41 !

StrandedBear · 10/11/2011 13:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StrandedBear · 10/11/2011 13:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OhYouBadBadkitten · 10/11/2011 13:42

I dunno whether to laugh or cry.

StrandedBear · 10/11/2011 13:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GrimmaTheNome · 10/11/2011 13:39

pirate - read the thread.... the x0 only applies to the second 40

nickelbabe · 10/11/2011 13:37

you're forgetting the first 40+ though!

piratecat · 10/11/2011 13:36

it's 1

anything times 0 is 0.

0 plus one is 1

nickelbabe · 10/11/2011 13:35

choccy - yo ucan shurrup too.
I'm a bad typist.

nickelbabe · 10/11/2011 13:34

shurrup Grimma Grin

Hulababy · 10/11/2011 13:34

Grimma - 75