# Need wrong calculations that lead to correct answer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-wrong-calculations-that-lead-to-correct-answer/535443 "2010-04-08T18:29:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Galileo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@Galileo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galileo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-wrong-calculations-that-lead-to-correct-answer/535443/1 "2010-04-08T18:29:54Z")
I’m looking for an example of something that involves a number of mistakes but that still results in the correct answer. I’m sure I’ve come across examples before but I can’t find them. I’m talking about silly mistakes in arithmetic, like 24 = 2 x 4 = 8 or 43 = 4 x 3 = 12 but when you put them together, you get the right answer. For example, what is 24 x 12? You make a few mistakes but you still end up with 288. The example needs to involve just simple arithmetic. No high school math. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-wrong-calculations-that-lead-to-correct-answer/535443/2 "2010-04-08T18:47:53Z")
This might be too short for your needs — but you can simplify 16/64 to 1/4 (the correct value) by “canceling out the sixes”. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-wrong-calculations-that-lead-to-correct-answer/535443/3 "2010-04-08T19:24:03Z")
Here’s another one 7_4-5_1=74-51=23 ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-wrong-calculations-that-lead-to-correct-answer/535443/4 "2010-04-08T19:50:32Z")
And one last one (if you allow negative numbers) (5-3)_(2-6)=5_2-3\*6=-8 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-wrong-calculations-that-lead-to-correct-answer/535443/5 "2010-04-08T20:05:19Z")
[7 x 13 = 28](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLprXHbn19I) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-wrong-calculations-that-lead-to-correct-answer/535443/6 "2010-04-08T21:14:01Z")
Cancel the 9s in 95/19. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-wrong-calculations-that-lead-to-correct-answer/535443/7 "2010-04-08T21:29:07Z")
Well, there’s always the old joke: Women require time and money. W = T x M Time is money. T= M Therefore : W = M x M = M^2 Money is the root of all evil. M = /E Therefore: W = (/E)^2 = E Proving that women are in fact evil. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-wrong-calculations-that-lead-to-correct-answer/535443/8 "2010-04-08T21:54:18Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > [7 x 13 = 28](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLprXHbn19I) A classic, but doesn’t really fit the OP since 28 is not the “correct” answer. ---
**Author:** ![Galileo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@Galileo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galileo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-wrong-calculations-that-lead-to-correct-answer/535443/9 "2010-04-09T15:50:17Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Here’s another one > > 7_4-5_1=74-51=23 I went with this one. Some of the others were beyond basic arithmetic. The Abbot and Costello routine was funny but not quite what I was looking for. Thanks.