If 'T' means (x), 'U' means (-), 'X' means (÷) and W means (+), then what will be the value of the following expression: (50 X 2) W (28 T 4)

Appeared in: NHM UP Staff Nurse-2021 Shift-1st

Explanation

The problem requires substituting given letters with their corresponding mathematical operators: T with 'x', U with '-', X with '÷', and W with '+'.
The expression (50 X 2) W (28 T 4) becomes (50 ÷ 2) + (28 x 4).
Following the BODMAS rule, operations within brackets are performed first: (50 ÷ 2) = 25 and (28 x 4) = 112.
The final step is to add the results of the two brackets: 25 + 112 = 137.

Option A: This result could be obtained from a calculation error, such as incorrectly multiplying 28 by 4 (e.g., if calculated as 117 instead of 112, then 25 + 117 = 142).
Option B: This incorrect answer likely stems from an arithmetic mistake during one of the steps, for instance, miscalculating the division 50 ÷ 2 as 46, leading to 46 + 112 = 158.
Option D: This value might arise from errors in calculation or ignoring the BODMAS rule. For example, if 50 ÷ 2 was miscalculated as 51, the result would be 51 + 112 = 163.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Mathematical Reasoning: Operator Substitution and BODMAS rule as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
While not a clinical question, these reasoning problems are common in the General Intelligence and Aptitude sections of nursing recruitment exams.
The skill of performing calculations accurately and in a specific order is directly transferable to clinical practice, particularly for medication dosage calculations where precision is vital for patient safety.
What if? If 'W' meant subtraction and 'X' meant multiplication, the expression (50 X 2) W (28 T 4) would become (50 x 2) - (28 x 4), which evaluates to 100 - 112 = -12.

How to Approach the Question

First, carefully read the question to map each letter ('T', 'U', 'X', 'W') to its corresponding mathematical operation ('x', '-', '÷', '+').
Rewrite the given expression, (50 X 2) W (28 T 4), by replacing each letter with its assigned operator.
Identify the order of operations using the BODMAS/PEMDAS rule. Note that this expression contains brackets.
Calculate the value within each bracket separately: (50 ÷ 2) and (28 x 4).
Finally, perform the operation that connects the two brackets (in this case, addition) to arrive at the final answer.
Compare your result with the given options to select the correct one.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full NHM UP Staff Nurse-2021 Shift-1st

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.