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Right, here's the question. It's not mine, it's a friend's daughters, and we're all confused.

Right, you have two playing cards, and two answers are given, and you have to work out what the question is and what the answers

So, for instance, the first two answers are 7 and 10. I have to work out the question, and in this case it is (1) 5 and 2, and (2) 5+2=7, and 5*2 = 10.

The second one in the one we're stuck on. The answers are -1 and -4, so what the hell is the answer?

Bare in mind that this is 11

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 09:59 (twenty-two years ago)

You want the question. Or the answer is the question? Which one is the first one? How many have you got? Who's on first base? The password is What? 11 what?

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 10:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry, I got interupted. it is an 11 year old's question. The answer to the second question is -1 and -4, so what are the two cards, and the two questions? I know, tre annoying.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 10:08 (twenty-two years ago)

-2.5 - 1.5 = -4
-2.5 + 1.5 = -1

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 10:09 (twenty-two years ago)

1) -2 and 2

2) -2/2 = -1, and -2*2 = -4

I thank yew.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 10:11 (twenty-two years ago)

where do playing cards come into this?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 10:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember doing this at school: the first one (where the questions are a+b and a*b) is a preliminary step in learning how to solve quadratic equations.

― caitlin (still at her new job and still not fired), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 11:07 (twenty-two years ago)

My first thought was -2 and 2, but then I realised you can't have a minus playing card. They all have to be whole positive numbers.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 11:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Then multiplication can't be involved because you can't multiply a positive by a positive and get a negative result.

― Madchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 11:21 (twenty-two years ago)

1.561552813 + (-2.561552813) = -1
1.561552813*(-2.561552813) = -4

(but Madchen's right, and I'd guess your 11 year old is just supposed to say 'there is no answer')

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 11:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, I arrived at the same conclusion. Multiplication, division or addition and can't be used unless one of the original whole numbers is negative. Obviously, you can't do subtraction twice with the same two numbers, and get a negative result for both, unless one is negative to start with.

I think the only answer is x and y values in a quadratic equation - finding zero points etc. 11 may be a little young for this though...

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe one of the cards is an Ace, which changes value depending on the game..? (I still can't figure it out though..)

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 12:09 (twenty-two years ago)

i thought that but it wouldn't work - to get -1 the other card would have to be a 2 or a 10, neither of which is 4 away from the other possible value for the ace.

― koogs (koogs), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 12:37 (twenty-two years ago)

IF POO TO THEN VALUE OF 10 = FANNY AND FANNY = NAN TEHN WHAT IS WEE?

― GARU G, Tuesday, 7 September 2004 12:38 (twenty-two years ago)

(btw congrats on new job caitlin. anything juicy?)

― koogs (koogs), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 13:26 (twenty-two years ago)

(the exciting world of IT support)

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 19:49 (twenty-two years ago)

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