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.
Ready for the interactive lab?
Practice four fours in Numeris with instant feedback.
Put the reasoning on paper.
Try six fraction, angle, perimeter and area questions with explained answers, for grades 4–6.
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