Missing Operations

A Maths Starter of The Day

Each red box represents a missing operation (+, -, x or รท)
Can you find what they are?

(22 ❑ 22) ❑ 25 = 25

36 ❑ (38 ❑ 26) = -28

(37 ❑ 24) ❑ 25 = 913

(37 ❑ 31) ❑ (32 ❑ 35) = 1126

 

 

 

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Keywords: Starter | Arithmetic

  • Dave Loboda, St John's Middle School, Bromsgrove
  • Tuesday, December 11, 2007
  • "Have used a number of your starters and found them to be very useful and enjoyable. We used the problem for 9 December today and one of the pupils pointed out what he felt was an error in the solution.

    You gave 24 + (39 + 36) x 36 = 3564 it was pointed out that, using BIDMAS strictly, you should complete the brackets first, then multiply by 36 before adding the 24 at the start which will give 2724

    Thank you"
  • Transum,
  • Tuesday, December 11, 2007
  • "Thanks Dave. It is very good of you to take time to point out the error. The numbers and operations in this starter are generated randomly each time the page is refreshed. The combination of randomly generated operations you came across was handled incorrectly by the software. The problem has now hopefully been solved."
  • Franziska Fisken, Telford
  • Tuesday, December 30, 2008
  • "I used this activity and found it a useful intro to BIDMAS /BODMAS!"
  • Liz Richards, Lambeth College
  • Wednesday, December 09, 2009
  • "When will Maths teachers realise that bidmas/bodmas does not always work?"
  • Nairn Spink, High School Of Dundee
  • Wednesday, December 09, 2009
  • "Hello transum,the class enjoyed this starter.we will definetly come back and do more activities. We were very happy when we got the answers."

    •  

  • Paul Harris, Chalfont St Peter
  • Wednesday, December 08, 2010
  • "Liz, coming at this from a Mathematician AND a maths teacher, what do you mean?
    BIDMAS/BODMAS is not some phrase that Maths teachers have invented to try and answer questions in Maths, it is the order of operations which happens, dictated by the constructs on which Mathematics is built. Brackets are computed first, then powers, then Multiplication/Division, computed in order of encounter from left to right, and finally Addition/Subtraction from left to right. I am always open to being wrong but as far as I know, BIDMAS is always going to hold as it is principle which underpins computation. Can you provide a counter example?"

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This starter has scored a mean of 2.8 out of 5 based on 16 votes.

 

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Answers

(22 - 22) + 25 = 25

36 - (38 + 26) = -28

(37 x 24) + 25 = 913

(37 - 31) + (32 x 35) = 1126

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