Math problem from 9th grade that's stuck on my mind ...


Recommended Posts

You know how things go unsolved from time to time and never gets solved?

 

In this case, here's a math problem as old as my freshman year of HS (1998-1999!) that never got solved at all. I tried and tried to solve it to no luck.

 

Here goes:

In this flashcard game, there's a set of 4 numbers that you can use addition, subtraction, multiplication and/or division (or you can repeat any of those operators) that MUST equal to 24. I have successfully made through all of the cards except one. That one is the one that got stuck on my mind ever since. And, to add insult to injury, you can't group any set of those 4 into 2 or 3 via parentheses - you must put them into a single line.

 

Here are the 4 numbers:

 

1       5      5       9

 

I tried that grouping thing (like 1 + 5 then 9 - 5 then multiplying the sum and difference together) and my teacher said "No, you can't do that" - I was like damn it, lol.

 

Can anyone help solve this for me so I can get this thing to rest?! Lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

drdrew, yes I'm sure it was a 9.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

You know how things go unsolved from time to time and never gets solved?

 

In this case, here's a math problem as old as my freshman year of HS (1998-1999!) that never got solved at all. I tried and tried to solve it to no luck.

 

Here goes:

In this flashcard game, there's a set of 4 numbers that you can use addition, subtraction, multiplication and/or division (or you can repeat any of those operators) that MUST equal to 24. I have successfully made through all of the cards except one. That one is the one that got stuck on my mind ever since. And, to add insult to injury, you can't group any set of those 4 into 2 or 3 via parentheses - you must put them into a single line.

 

Here are the 4 numbers:

 

1       5      5       9

 

I tried that grouping thing (like 1 + 5 then 9 - 5 then multiplying the sum and difference together) and my teacher said "No, you can't do that" - I was like damn it, lol.

 

Can anyone help solve this for me so I can get this thing to rest?! Lol.

 

There isn't a way, other than to use operations

 

 

(9-5)*(5+1) = 24

 

/ninja'd

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah the 24 game, we use to play that in elementary school...... don't think we ever played it past 7th grade :rofl: if I remember correct, you can group in 24, as long as you got the answer

 

did the cards look like this?

 

33976-3D_3-4-7-8-300x300.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah the 24 game, we use to play that in elementary school...... don't think we ever played it past 7th grade :rofl: if I remember correct, you can group in 24, as long as you got the answer

 

did the cards look like this?

 

33976-3D_3-4-7-8-300x300.jpeg

YES that one! Except the colors were plain black and white.

According to this site: http://gottfriedville.net/games/24/index.shtml, your teacher was wrong and (1+5)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

YES that one! Except the colors were plain black and white.

 Oh wow. Damn you, Mrs. Susan Hocker (my Algebra 1 teacher).

 

Thank you! I KNEW I was right the first time!

She was probably mad you figured it out. :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

She was probably mad you figured it out. :laugh:

LOL! Probably.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.