Four Fours — an Order-of-Operations Puzzle (Grades 5–6)
In "Four Fours," you make different target numbers using exactly four 4s and any operations/parentheses. It's a playful way to master combining operations: 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 16, but 4 × 4 + 4 + 4 = 24, and 4 × 4 − 4 − 4 = 8. Small changes in operation make big changes in value.
Understanding four fours
In "Four Fours," you make different target numbers using exactly four 4s and any operations/parentheses. It's a playful way to master combining operations: 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 16, but 4 × 4 + 4 + 4 = 24, and 4 × 4 − 4 − 4 = 8. Small changes in operation make big changes in value.
Key Idea
In "Four Fours," you make different target numbers using exactly four 4s and any operations/parentheses. It's a playful way to master combining operations: 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 16, but 4 × 4 + 4 + 4 = 24, and 4 × 4 − 4 − 4 = 8. Small changes in operation make big changes in value.
Seeing it in action
Worked example
Make 16 with four 4s.
4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 16. (Or 4 × 4 × (4 ÷ 4) = 16.)
Exactly four 4s, arranged carefully.
Try a few
Make 8 with four 4s.
Make 4 with four 4s.
Make 0 with four 4s.
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Master it in the workbook.
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