Question

Communicate the Ideas

1. Lance evaluated the expression - 2 x 4 + 1 + 3 to equal 0.
a) What mistake did he make?
b) What is the correct value of the expression? ​

Answer 1

-4

Step-by-step explanation:

1. a) Lance did not stipulate which mathematical laws that will be used for the expression. It could follow computer logical solving from left to right, it could use PEDMAS or BODMAS. Hence solving it in different ways will generate different answers. Likewise, not adding a bracket within the equation varies the results from the multiplication; it could be -2 x (4+1+3) or (-2 x4)+1+3.

b) Using BODMAS which is more commonly used for these kind of expressions, we can have:

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

= -8 + 4

= -4