Maths Poser

[quincydavis]

1-8 +8+4= can someone explain how to work out please

[Buenchico]

Are you sure that you've typed that correctly? It looks rather obvious to me!

Subtracting 8 from 1 takes you to -7

Adding 8 back on takes you to where you were before, i.e. 1

Adding 4 to 1 gives 5.

[Fibonacci]

Addition and Subtraction (working left-to-right)
1 - 8 = -7
-7 + 8 = 1
1 + 4 = 5

[quincydavis]

thanks for your quick replies the answer they gave was 19 ??

[SirOracle]

Buenchito Some people cannot understand the concept of a negative no.

To assist op make two columns one for the negative nos.and one for the positive nos.

Negative 8 Positive 1,8,4= 13.

Subtract 8 from 13

Equals 5.

The mind boggles. !!!

[SirOracle]

Who are THEY ?

[Canary42]

19 would be 8-1+8+4, or alternatively

-(1-8)+8+4

[scoobydooby]

I'm no mathematician but this looks as though the 8+8+4 should be in brackets. If that were the case then the sum would add to 19. Far too many years ago since I did Maths though!

[grasscarp]

As methyl already suggested.

[Prudie]

That would make it -19 though. I think you must have copied something incorrectly quincy.

[elliemay1]

The minus 8 and plus 8 cancel each other out so the sum is 1+4=5

[grasscarp]

We may never know if Quincy doesn't give us any more info