I was helping my little sister solve a sixth grade math problem which went something like this –
Z = 4 + 3 – 3 + 2
What is the final value of Z ?
In this case , my brain directly jumped to the BODMAS and I did the addition part first. I thus got –
(4+3) – (3+2) = 7 – 5 = 2
I got to know that this answer was WRONG and I had to just follow it through without considering the BODMAS. And the answer would be something like this –
Z = 4 + 3 – 3 + 2
= 7 – 3 + 2
= 4 + 2
= 6
Which obviously gives 6.
This confused me. Is BODMAS a conditional rule ?? When is it used then ? ( Btw it is quite kiddish but I have the doubt anyways )
For example I checked on the net and I got something like this,
To calculate == 5 + 3 * 2
We use the BODMAS here,
== 5 + 6 = 11.
Well if I would have just followed it through here I would get 16.
Any clarification about the BODMAS idea please ?? There is clearly a HUGE misconception.
(For god's sake don't downvote my question, please answer if you can)
Best Answer
If you want to compute $4+3-3+2$, since you only have additions and subtrations (which have the same priority level) and there are no parenthesis, you just do\begin{align}\overbrace{4+3}^{\phantom7=7}-3+2&=\overbrace{7-3}^{\phantom4=4}+2\\&=4+2\\&=6.\end{align}Your mistake consisted in adding parenthesis when there were none.