Question 20
Choose a number and create ten different expressions having that value.
- An arithmetic expression is a combination of numbers and operations (such as , , , , powers, and roots) that simplifies to a single numerical value.
- We can pick any target number (such as ) and construct distinct mathematical expressions that evaluate to this value by using different arithmetic operations and rules of precedence (BODMAS/PEMDAS).
Step 1 · Choose a Target Number
Let the chosen number be .

Step 2 · Formulate Ten Distinct Expressions
We construct ten different expressions using various mathematical operations that all simplify to :
-
Addition:
-
Subtraction:
-
Multiplication:
-
Division:
-
Parentheses / Grouping:
- Powers / Exponents:
-
Square Root:
-
Mixed Operations:
-
Decimals:
-
Combined Operations:
For the chosen number , ten different expressions are:
- Ignoring Order of Operations (BODMAS/PEMDAS): In multi-operation expressions like , performing subtraction before multiplication leads to an incorrect value ().
- Miscalculating Powers or Roots: Confusing powers with multiplication (e.g., thinking instead of ).
More questions in FIO
Fill in the blanks to make the expressions equal on both sides of the sign:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Arrange the following expressions in ascending (increasing) order of their values.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Find the values of the following expressions by writing the terms in each case.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Write a story/situation for each of the following expressions and find their values.
(a)
(b)
(c)
For each of the following situations, write the expression describing the situation, identify its terms and find the value of the expression.
(a) Queen Alia gave 100 gold coins to Princess Elsa and 100 gold coins to Princess Anna last year. Princess Elsa used the coins to start a business and doubled her coins. Princess Anna bought jewellery and has only half of the coins left. Write an expression describing how many gold coins Princess Elsa and Princess Anna together have.
(b) A metro train ticket between two stations is ₹40 for an adult and ₹20 for a child. What is the total cost of tickets:
(i) for four adults and three children?
(ii) for two groups having three adults each?
(c) Find the total height of the window by writing an expression describing the relationship among the measurements shown in the picture.
Add brackets at appropriate places in the expressions such that they lead to the values indicated.
(a)
(b)
(c)
Using only reasoning of how terms change their values, fill the blanks to make the expressions on either side of the equality () equal.
(a)
(b)
Using the numbers 2, 3 and 5, and the operators '+' and '-', and brackets, as necessary, generate expressions to give as many different values as possible. For example, and .
Whenever Jasoda has to subtract 9 from a number, she subtracts 10 and adds 1 to it. For example, .
(a) Do you think she always gets the correct answer? Why?
(b) Can you think of other similar strategies? Give some examples.
Consider the two expressions: a) , b) . For each of these expressions, identify the expressions from the following collection that are equal to it.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Figure it Out
- Fill in the blanks with numbers, and boxes by signs, so that the expressions on both sides are equal.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)
(m)
(n)
(o)
(p)
In the boxes below, fill '<', '>' or '=' after analysing the expressions on the LHS and RHS. Use reasoning and understanding of terms and brackets to figure this out and not by evaluating the expressions.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Here is one way to make 14: . Are there other ways of getting 14? Fill them out below:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Find out the sum of the numbers given in each picture below in at least two different ways. Describe how you solved it through expressions.
Read the situations given below. Write appropriate expressions for each of them and find their values.
(a) The district market in Begur operates on all seven days of a week. Rahim supplies 9 kg of mangoes each day from his orchard and Shyam supplies 11 kg of mangoes each day from his orchard to this market. Find the amount of mangoes supplied by them in a week to the local district market.
(b) Binu earns ₹20,000 per month. She spends ₹5,000 on rent, ₹5,000 on food, and ₹2,000 on other expenses every month. What is the amount Binu will save by the end of a year?
(c) During the daytime a snail climbs 3 cm up a post, and during the night while asleep, accidentally slips down by 2 cm. The post is 10 cm high, and a delicious treat is on its top. In how many days will the snail get the treat?
Melvin reads a two-page story every day except on Tuesdays and Saturdays. How many stories would he complete reading in 8 weeks? Which of the expressions below describes this scenario?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
Find different ways of evaluating the following expressions:
(a)
(b)
Compare the following pairs of expressions using '', '' or '' or by reasoning.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
Identify which of the following expressions are equal to the given expression without computation. You may rewrite the expressions using terms or removing brackets. There can be more than one expression which is equal to the given expression.
(a)
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(b)
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Choose a number and create ten different expressions having that value.