Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School (Wayside School 2.50)

Chapter 4

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Solve the following multiplication problems. Be careful not to confuse the letter o with the number 0 or the letters l and i with the number 1.

PROBLEM 19

g

g

a = ?lllld = ?llllg = ?llllo = ?

An explanation of how to solve a multiplication problem follows.

g

Explanation

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; g

An important rule to remember is that one times any number equals that number:

g

1 x 4 = 4.llll1 x 1,000 = 1,000.

And

1 x dog = dog.

g

In this problem we see that d x dog = dog.

g

g

Therefore d = 1.

Now look just at the addition part of the problem, replacing all d’s with the number 1.

g

g

Two things become clear: o = 0 and g = 2.

Now return to the whole problem and replace all the d’s with 1, g’s with 2, and o’s with 0.

g

g

We see that a times 2 equals a number that ends in zero. Since a can’t equal zero, a has to equal 5.