What will come in place of ‘?’ in the following equation, if ‘+’ and ‘−‘ are interchanged and ‘×’ and ‘÷’ are interchanged?
Correct Answer :
36
Solution :
The correct option is 36.
To find the value that replaces the question mark (?), we begin with the original mathematical equation:
According to the problem statement, we must interchange the operators as follows:
1. '+' and '−' are interchanged (i.e., '+' becomes '−' and '−' becomes '+').
2. '×' and '÷' are interchanged (i.e., '×' becomes '÷' and '÷' becomes '×').
Let the unknown value '?' be represented by the variable x. Applying these operator interchanges to the equation, we get:
Now, we solve the left-hand side of the equation by following the BODMAS rules (Brackets, Orders, Division/Multiplication, Addition/Subtraction):
Step 1: Perform the division
Divide 32 by 4:
Substitute this back into the equation:
Step 2: Perform the multiplication
Multiply 12 by 3:
Substitute this back into the equation:
Step 3: Perform addition and subtraction on the left-hand side
Simplify:
Then add 5:
Now the equation is simplified to:
Step 4: Solve for x
Add 3 to both sides of the equation to isolate x:
Thus, the value that comes in place of '?' is 36.
Access expert-curated educational resources and study materials—completely free.
Create, conduct, and manage professional online assessments with Mindyard. Perfect for teachers and institutes.
Copyright © 2026 Mindyard. All Rights Reserved.