Math puzzles are always fun and interesting to solve.
Today, we will look at a simple math riddle about a girl named Sofia.
Someone asked Sofia how old she was.
Instead of giving a direct number, she gave a math expression:
6 – 1 x 5 + 8 ÷ 2
Now, our job is to calculate this expression and find her real age.
To solve this equation correctly, we must follow the standard rules of math.
In mathematics, we use a special order of operations called PEMDAS or BODMAS.
This rule tells us which calculation we should do first, second, and last.
The letters stand for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction.
Multiplication and division have higher priority than addition and subtraction.
When we have both multiplication and division, we simply solve them from left to right.
Let us look at Sofia’s math puzzle again:
6 – 1 x 5 + 8 ÷ 2
In this expression, we can see four different operations: subtraction, multiplication, addition, and division.
First, we must perform the multiplication and division parts from left to right.
The first calculation we encounter from the left is 1 x 5.
1 x 5 = 5
Now, we replace 1 x 5 with 5 in the main equation.
The equation becomes: 6 – 5 + 8 ÷ 2
Next, we look for the division part in the equation.
We see 8 ÷ 2 at the end of the expression.
8 ÷ 2 = 4
Now, we replace 8 ÷ 2 with 4.
Our equation is now much simpler: 6 – 5 + 4
At this stage, we are left with only subtraction and addition.
Since addition and subtraction have the same level of priority, we solve them from left to right.
First, we calculate the left part: 6 – 5.
6 – 5 = 1
Now, we add the remaining number: 1 + 4.
1 + 4 = 5
We have completed all the operations correctly and reached the final answer.
The final result of the equation 6 – 1 x 5 + 8 ÷ 2 is 5.
Therefore, Sofia is 5 years old.
By using the correct math order, we solved the puzzle easily and logically.
