And this is why I use a calculator
Comment on Daily discussion thread: đ„đ Sunday, May 19, 2024
RustyRaven@aussie.zone âš6â© âšmonthsâ© agoThey are all basically the same thing. Brackets (aka parenthesis) are done first - thatâs basically the entire point of brackets. Then you do all the multiplication stuff, which includes division (which is just multiplication in reverse), fractions (which are another way of writing division) and exponentials (which are a shorthand for multiplication of a number by itself). Then you do all the addition/subtraction stuff. Within those three groups it doesnât really matter which ones you do first.
It helps to think of it in terms of something concrete - biscuits are good. Multiplication type maths is dealing with packets, addition is like individual biscuits. So if you have 3 packets containing 12 tim tams, plus 5 tim tams, to work out how many you need to work out how many in packets first, then add the individual biscuits - so 3 x 12 + 5, equals 36+5. When you look at it that way it becomes fairly clear that adding your pack of 12 to 5 individual biscuits and then mulitplying that by the 3 packs just doesnât make sense.
Baku@aussie.zone âš6â© âšmonthsâ© ago
SmartmanApps@programming.dev âš6â© âšmonthsâ© ago
Just make sure you donât use an e-calculator, nor a Texas Instruments calculator.
RustyRaven@aussie.zone âš6â© âšmonthsâ© ago
But if you use biscuits once you get to the last bit and do the subtraction it all becomes worthwhile. If I have three packets of 12 tim tams and eat four tim tams what do I have? I have four tim tams in my tummy. Best maths ever.
SmartmanApps@programming.dev âš6â© âšmonthsâ© ago
It absolutely does matter. You must do exponents after brackets and before multiplication and division, for the precise reason you said that exponents are shorthand for multiplication. In other words, thereâs 4 groups, not three.