2nd class maths question?

Kent Brockman

This is a question in my 8yr olds maths book
What number is 30 more than 25?

I think the answer is obviously 55, he and his mother think it is 5.
What do ye think?

proulx

30+25=55 surely

unless the question is what is added to 25 to make 30

MagicMarker

I can see where they're getting 5 from, but from the way the question is asked the answer is 55.

MathsManiac

Maybe they are interpreting it as:
By what number is 30 more than 25?

That would be 5, I reckon.

seanybiker

55 id go for aswell.

Michael Collins

MathsManiac wrote: »

Maybe they are interpreting it as:
By what number is 30 more than 25?

That would be 5, I reckon.

Yeah I can see the possible ambiguity after thinking about it, initially my reaction was it's clearly 55 - and I think the way the question has been worded here (without the "By") that is the answer they're looking for.

Jamey_29

It could be a typo in the book....?

sponsoredwalk

I can see both scenario's as equally likely, even without the antecedent "By"
inserted there. I think you should get this 8 year old to write a big essay
(in either crayon or pen, whatever his/her personal preference) explaining
how the ambiguity in the language offers the chance for two possible
answers depending on the readers personal interpretation.

If I was a teacher & got a child handing me up that as an answer, oh boy!

edit: Oh man, memories (nightmares) from school are coming back! I used to have
a horrible time because I kept interpreting the questions incorrectly because of
the grammatical ambiguities! Still do sometimes in fact!

MathsManiac

Just to clarify my earlier post: I do think the answer is unambiguously 55, as the question is stated. I was just trying to imagine how one might think it was 5. The "by" would critically change the correct interpretation, in my view.

Kent Brockman

My logic to him was:
What number is 5 more than 25? he said straight away 30.
then What number is 10 more than 25....etc and back to the original question:
What number is 30 more than 25?
Following that line of thought it was quite clear to him 55.

Lets hope the teacher doesn't come back and tell him the answer is 5

proulx

Well what was the answer?

Mongarra

I hope the child gave the correct answer which is the square root of 3,025.

MagicMarker

proulx wrote: »

Well what was the answer?

7, the answer is always 7.

RosieJoe

proulx wrote: »

Well what was the answer?

It's blowing in the wind

newbee22

Kent Brockman wrote: »

This is a question in my 8yr olds maths book
What number is 30 more than 25?

I think the answer is obviously 55, he and his mother think it is 5.
What do ye think?

55 unless it says by what number is 30 greater than 25

Kent Brockman

Ok the correct answer was.......55.

10 out of 24 in the class got it wrong (even though parents have to sign the homework journal to say it has been done and checked:rolleyes: ).

There has been quite a few of these type questions already this term, which can be open to different interpretations (although this one was pretty clear cut IMO).
I'll post the next rivitting one as it happens:D:D

LeixlipRed

It's good for the children to see that maths isn't always black and white, that there's a certain amount of subjectivity to it. Too many children exposed to a strict right/wrong approach become adults studying at college who flounder when faced with open-ended questions.