Can You Work Out This Sum

[barney15c]

I tried using bomdas and came up with an answer but dont know if i did it right:

4x4+4x4+4-4x4

I make it 20 is that right if not can you tell me what it is and how you arrived at the answer - thanks

PS apparently 73% of people get it wrong

[Prudie]

I also make it 20
16+16+4-16

[losgigs]

I made it 320!

[Psybbo]

I make it 20

[frugalfred]

(4x4)+(4x4)+4-(4x4) = 20 is how I too would do it.

[penelope2]

Whoops, I made it 68.

[losgigs]

There are no brackets so I did it sequentially: 4 by 4 =16 +4=20, times 4 =80 +4 =84,-4=80,times 4=320.

[Maydup]

with no brackets its 320.

[wardlaw]

In the absence of brackets I think the answer is 320.

[maggiebee]

Without brackets I made it 320 - with brackets I made it 20.

[Prudie]

The rule is you have to use BODMAS (BIDMAS now I think) so multiplications before addition and subtraction

[boxtops]

320, none of the operations are in brackets, so sequence prevales:

4x4 (=16) +4 (=20) x4 (=80) +4 (=84) -4 (=80) x4 = 320

[marval]

I made it 320

[Mass_Hysteria]

snap maidup, 320 without brackets, 20 with

[losgigs]

If there are no brackets in the original sum, you can't just put them in.
PS what is bomdas?

[dr b]

By my estimation this question has been asked at least 4x4+4x4+4-4x4 (that is, 20) times and every time the same discussion ensues. Brackets are always implicit since there is a well defined order of operations in arithmetic.

To get 320 the question would need to be:

(((4x4) + 4) x 4) + 4 - 4) x 4

thus overriding the order of operations

[Prudie]

It's BOdMAS, called BIDMAS now and defines the order in which operations have to be done, especially if no brackets are shown - Brackets, indices, division, multiplication, addition and finally subtraction.

[dr b]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_operations

[Sparkles62]

The way the sum is written, with no brackets, the answer is 320. X