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Question Can you come up with more complicated steps that always lead to the same final value?
Yes. Here is an example. We can understand such tricks through algebra. Step 1: Think of a number = x Step 2. 5 times it = 5x Step 3: Add 25 = 5x + 25 Step 4: Divide by 5 = \(\frac{5 x+25}{5}\) = x + 5 Step 5: Subtract the original number you thought of (x + 5) – x = 5 For Example: Consider a number 18. 5 times 18 = 90 Add 25 = 90 + 25 = 115 Divide by 5 = 115 ÷ 5 = 23 ∴ 23 – 18 = 5 Math Talk (Page 137)