Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: 143
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question again checks your skill in decoding symbolic arithmetic. The letters A, B, C, and D no longer stand for algebraic variables but instead represent familiar arithmetic operations. To find the correct value of the expression, you must first replace each letter with its real operation and then follow the standard order of operations to evaluate the resulting expression accurately.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- "A" means subtraction.
- "B" means division.
- "C" means addition.
- "D" means multiplication.
- Expression: 294 B 6 A 30 C 31 D 4.
- Standard arithmetic precedence applies once the expression is decoded: division and multiplication first, then addition and subtraction from left to right.
Concept / Approach:
The key strategy is to convert the coded expression into a standard arithmetic expression in one clean step. After decoding, you use the usual precedence rules. It helps to rewrite the entire expression in familiar symbols to avoid confusion. Mistakes usually happen when a student decodes some operators but continues to treat others as if they still have their usual algebraic meaning.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Start with the coded form: 294 B 6 A 30 C 31 D 4.
Step 2: Replace "B" with division, "A" with subtraction, "C" with addition, and "D" with multiplication.
Step 3: The decoded expression becomes 294 ÷ 6 - 30 + 31 * 4.
Step 4: Evaluate the division and multiplication first. Compute 294 ÷ 6 = 49.
Step 5: Compute 31 * 4 = 124.
Step 6: Now handle subtraction and addition from left to right: 49 - 30 + 124 = 19 + 124 = 143.
Verification / Alternative check:
Double check each arithmetic step. The division 294 ÷ 6 equals 49, and the product 31 * 4 equals 124. Then 49 - 30 is 19, and 19 + 124 is 143. All computations are straightforward and consistent. There is no other reasonable decoding of the letters A, B, C, and D, because their meanings are explicitly given in the question. Hence, 143 is the unique correct result for the decoded expression.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Option 16 would only appear if almost every step was miscalculated or the wrong operations were applied.
- Option 156 might arise if someone computed 294 ÷ 6 correctly but then added instead of subtracting 30, or misused the multiplication step for 31 and 4.
- Option 163 could be produced by small arithmetic slips when combining the intermediate values or by ignoring the operator precedence and calculating strictly left to right.
Common Pitfalls:
The main pitfalls include forgetting that multiplication and division must be handled before addition and subtraction, and confusing the meanings of the coded letters. Another source of mistakes is doing the decoding and calculation simultaneously, which increases the chance of mixing operations. A safer method is to decode first, write the full expression with normal symbols, and only then perform the calculations carefully.
Final Answer:
Evaluating the decoded expression 294 ÷ 6 - 30 + 31 * 4 gives a final result of 143.
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