How to solve this equation by removing one element? (one element is one spatially finished item.)
hint :
Puzzling Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for those who create, solve, and study puzzles. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityHow to solve this equation by removing one element? (one element is one spatially finished item.)
hint :
You'll note that there are a lot of similarities between
The shape of the 8 and the shape of the 3.
If we
Take away the parts of the 8 that are also on the 3, we're left with a 7. This is more clearly shown graphically below. A red 3 is placed over a blue 8, and the area left is a 7:
So what the equation is saying is that
If we visually take a 3-shaped curve out of the 8-shape, we're left with a 7.
The trick answer (cf 'lateral thinking' tag) is to remove the element of equality. This works for both equations.
Admittedly, it does nothing for the 'visual' tag, other than that the element of equality covers the whole spatially finished equation in each case.
:P
Don't mind my paint skills.
I copied the 7 from the right and made the pixels red to make it clear.
If you Move the 7 from the right inside the 3 on the left, it does perfectly align to be exact as the 8. Which makes the equation "8 - 8 = 0"
Another way to see the equation:
Remove $-$ sign from $8 - 3 = 7 $, and add the slant line on $=$ sign: $$ 83 \neq 7$$
It works with $ 8 + 3 = 7 $ also.
Question is very vague and I have asked OP to clarify in a comment to the question.
Meanwhile, I think to solve an "equation" we require an "unknown".
Here, the 7 is not a 7, rather it is part of a question mark "?" which is the "unknown" in the "equation" and hence 8-3=? is 8-3=5.
Similarly 8+3=? is 8+3=11.