If ‘A’ stands for ‘÷’, ‘B’ stands for ‘×’, ‘C’ stands for ‘+’ and ‘D’ stands…
2026
If ‘A’ stands for ‘÷’, ‘B’ stands for ‘×’, ‘C’ stands for ‘+’ and ‘D’ stands for ‘−’, what will come in place of the question mark ‘?’ in the following equation?
18 B 2 D 4 A 2 C 8 = ?
Answer: C. 42 — Concept: In a symbol-substitution question the letters only rename the arithmetic operators; they do not change how an expression is simplified. After every…
- A.
34
- B.
38
- C.
42
- D.
40
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Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept: In a symbol-substitution question the letters only rename the arithmetic operators; they do not change how an expression is simplified. After every letter is replaced by the operator it stands for, the expression is evaluated by the standard order of operations (BODMAS): brackets first, then orders, then division and multiplication from left to right, and finally addition and subtraction from left to right.
Application: Replace the letters and simplify step by step.
Substitute A = ÷, B = ×, C = + and D = −, so 18 B 2 D 4 A 2 C 8 becomes 18 × 2 − 4 ÷ 2 + 8.
Take multiplication and division first, working from left to right: 18 × 2 = 36 and 4 ÷ 2 = 2, which reduces the expression to 36 − 2 + 8.
Now take addition and subtraction, again from left to right: 36 − 2 = 34, and 34 + 8 = 42.
Cross-check: Regrouping the last two terms gives the same total, 36 + (8 − 2) = 36 + 6 = 42. Simplifying strictly in reading order instead would give ((18 × 2) − 4) ÷ 2 + 8 = 24, which shows that the order of operations, not the left-to-right reading order, decides the value.
Hence the question mark stands for 42.