0
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by Arkouda@lemmy.ca to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world

EDIT: Thanks to a helpful comment I see why I was wrong.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

The brackets are used to make the equation look cleaner

No, they're used to show deviations from the usual order of operations. If I want 2+3x4 to equal 20, then I have to write (2+3)x4.

10 - 1 + 1 = 8 doing the addition first

No it isn't. 10+1-1=11-1=10 is doing the addition first. Note same answer. You in fact did 10-(1+1) - you added brackets which changed the answer, thus a wrong answer

10 - 1 - 1 = 8 regardless of order because it is all subtraction

Not all of it. You're forgetting the 10 is really +10. -10-1-1 would be all subtraction. +10-1-1 is addition and subtraction.

it is not the same regardless of order

Yes it is! 😂 It is always the same regardless of order, as I have just shown you, again.

10-1+1=9+1=10

10+1-1=11-1=10

-1+1+10=0+10=10

1-1+10=0+10=10

1+10-1=11-1=10

-1+10+1=9+1=10

you do it left to right making it incorrect to do 1-1 first.

It's NOT incorrect to do 10-1+1 or 10+1-1. It IS incorrect to do 10-(1+1), which is what you did

By doing it out of order and incorrectly I was able to make my statement true

It was solely because you did it incorrectly. Order doesn't change anything.

[-] Arkouda@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 month ago

I am not going to argue with you about it. This was resolved almost a month ago.

Read the original equation again, plug some numbers into it, and try again. If that doesn't help, read the rest of the thread. If you still don't get it I cannot help you.

[-] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 month ago

I am not going to argue with you about it

Nor should you. I'm a Maths teacher.

This was resolved almost a month ago

And yet you still don't understand what's wrong with what you said.

Read the original equation again, plug some numbers into it, and try again.

That's what you need to do. You're the one coming up with wrong answers when you change the order. Changing the order doesn't change the answer.

If you still don’t get it I cannot help you

It's not me who doesn't get it. I teach it.

[-] Arkouda@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 month ago

I feel bad for your students if you cannot see why you are wrong here.

[-] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 month ago

I feel bad for your students if you cannot see why you are wrong here

My students know I'm right. Everyone's students know that's right. It's only adults who've forgotten the rules who get this wrong.

[-] Arkouda@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 month ago

Whatever you say. Enjoy the egg on your face bud.

[-] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Enjoy the egg on your face bud

None on my face. My students do very well in their tests. How about you? BTW try it on a calculator and guess what answer you'll get. hint: it'll be the same answer regardless of which order you do it 😂

To save you some trouble, here's the results from my calculator...

10+1-1=10

10-1+1=10

-1+10+1=10

+1+10-1=10

-1+1+10=10

1-1+10=10

[-] Arkouda@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 month ago

10-1+1=10 only if you don't the addition first 1 + 1 = 2 - 10 = 8, which was my mistake, which I already stated.

Now jog on "math teacher".

[-] SmartmanApps@programming.dev 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

10-1+1=10 only if you don’t the addition first 1 + 1 = 2 - 10 = 8

Nope, yet again you just did 10-(1+1), which is wrong for 10+1-1. It gives 10 in any order. 10+1-1=11-1=10 <== did addition first, got 10. Accountants would have a nightmare if order mattered. "Did we receive this payment first, or this invoice? The order matters! ARGH!"

which was my mistake, which I already stated.

No, your mistake was adding brackets, 10-(1+1) ISN'T how to do addition first. 10+1-1 is. Ask an accountant! 😂 As you discovered 10-(1+1)=10-1-1, which isn't 10+1-1, nor 10-1+1. 10-1-1=8, which is what you did - 10-1-1=10-(1+1) - 10-1+1=10, 10+1-1=10.

I see you still didn't try it on a calculator yet then

this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2025
0 points (50.0% liked)

Showerthoughts

36295 readers
243 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

Rules

  1. All posts must be showerthoughts
  2. The entire showerthought must be in the title
  3. No politics
    • If your topic is in a grey area, please phrase it to emphasize the fascinating aspects, not the dramatic aspects. You can do this by avoiding overly politicized terms such as "capitalism" and "communism". If you must make comparisons, you can say something is different without saying something is better/worse.
    • A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
  4. Posts must be original/unique
  5. Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct and the TOS

If you made it this far, showerthoughts is accepting new mods. This community is generally tame so its not a lot of work, but having a few more mods would help reports get addressed a little sooner.

Whats it like to be a mod? Reports just show up as messages in your Lemmy inbox, and if a different mod has already addressed the report, the message goes away and you never worry about it.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS