Question

Where do you insert parentheses to make the equation `45 - 3 * 4 + 9 =6` true?

Answer 1

45 - 3 `xx(4 + 9 )`

Explanation:

45 - 3`xx (4 + 9 )`

Using PEDMAS :

first Parenthesis. ( There are no exponents).

Then multiplication , Finally Subtraction.

hence : 45 - `3 xx 13 = 45 - 39 = 6`

Answer 2

`45-3xx(4+9) =6`

Explanation:

As soon as you get an answer that is different from the one that you should get, it is a clue that the plus or minus operations will probably be in brackets. There is a certain amount of trial and error involved!

Try: `(45-3) xx (4+9)" "larr` Without even working this out we can see it will be way too big, certainly not 6.

So putting both + and - in brackets did not work, try just one of them.

Try: `45- 3xxcolor(red)((4+9))`
`=45-3xx13`
`= 45-39`
`=6`

Bingo!