Explain This...and you Win...umm...Something..

[Kat]

Think of a number 1 to 10. Now double it. Add 8 to it. Divide by 2. Subtract 1st number you thought of. The answer will be 4.

 

[aaronleland]

I refuse to answer until I know what I've won.

 

[Kat]

But did it work? How?

 

[Hossfly]

Think of a number 1 to 10. Now double it. Add 8 to it. Divide by 2. Subtract 1st number you thought of. The answer will be 4.

All smoke and mirrors. A trick.It works for all 10 numbers. I win a seegar.

 

[aaronleland]

But did it work? How?

Yes. Making this thread suck worked.

 

[Kat]

W hy would you do that???

 

[Kat]

Think of a number 1 to 10. Now double it. Add 8 to it. Divide by 2. Subtract 1st number you thought of. The answer will be 4.

All smoke and mirrors. A trick.It works for all 10 numbers. I win a seegar.

LOL Yeah, but how? Splain it to me.

 

[Lumpy 1]

But did it work? How?

Yes. Making this thread suck worked.

 

[Hossfly]

Think of a number 1 to 10. Now double it. Add 8 to it. Divide by 2. Subtract 1st number you thought of. The answer will be 4.

All smoke and mirrors. A trick.It works for all 10 numbers. I win a seegar.

LOL Yeah, but how? Splain it to me.

 

[Kat]

Think of a number 1 to 10. Now double it. Add 8 to it. Divide by 2. Subtract 1st number you thought of. The answer will be 4.

All smoke and mirrors. A trick.It works for all 10 numbers. I win a seegar.

LOL Yeah, but how? Splain it to me.

Me neeter.

 

[MarathonMike]

It's a simple algebra equation. Let n be the number your thinking and y be the answer. So you take n times 2 that's 2n. Add 8 so that's 2n +8. Divide that by 2 that becomes (2n+8)/2. Subtract n so your equation is y = (2n +8)/2 - n. Now factor out the 2 so it looks like y = (n+4) -n. So n-n is zero and voila y = 4.

 

[Lumpy 1]

I used 4 and it worked out but now my brain is tired... I need a hug...

 

[Kat]

It's a simple algebra equation. Let n be the number your thinking and y be the answer. So you take n times 2 that's 2n. Add 8 so that's 2n +8. Divide that by 2 that becomes (2n+8)/2. Subtract n so your equation is y = (2n +8)/2 - n. Now factor out the 2 so it looks like y = (n+4) -n. So n-n is zero and voila y = 4.

Well, that made it all clear to me.....

 

[Kat]

I used 4 and it worked out but now my brain is tired... I need a hug...

I used my calculator

 

[Hossfly]

I used 4 and it worked out but now my brain is tired... I need a hug...

 

[edthecynic]

let a = any number in the universe.
a x 2 = 2a, add 8 = 2a+8, divide by 2 = a+4, subtract your original amount (-a) and you are left with 4.

Your original amount (a) cancels itself out when it is subtracted (-a) so no matter what number you start with as (a), the equation always reduces to 8 divided by 2 = 4.

 

[Lumpy 1]

I used 4 and it worked out but now my brain is tired... I need a hug...

I used my calculator

I am renewed and comfy cozy..

 

[my2¢]

1. (2x+8)/2 - 4 = x
2. (2x+8)/2 = x + 4
3. (2x+8) = 2(x+4)
4. 2x+8=2x+8
5. x can be any number

Like edthecynic said, but my algebra teacher back in '69 slap me across the head for skipping steps and not showing my work. So this is how we were forced to show it.

 

[blastoff]

It doesn't work for libs. The math's too difficult.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Common core math.