OOOPS!
Order of Operations
and the Random Number Generator
Lois Coles, Algebra Teacher, Brentwood Middle School
Objective – In this activity you will use the TI-83/84+ graphing calculator
Random Number Generator and your knowledge of the Order of Operations to
generate OOOPS1 expressions.
Procedure:
1. To generate an OOOPS! number, press
MATH
► PRB ▼ randInt( and press ENTER
2. At the prompt, enter 1
,
100
,
1
) and press ENTER
3. The calculator will display 1 random integer between 1 and 100.
4. That number becomes the OOOPS! number. Write the number in the
correct column of the worksheet.
5. At the prompt, enter 1 ,
20 ,
5 ) and press ENTER
6. The calculator will display 5 random integers between 1 and 20. Write
the 5 numbers in the correct column of the worksheet.
7. Use all 5 random integers to make an OOOPS! expression that equals
or is as close to the OOOPS! number as possible. Use any Order of
Operations and any operation symbols but only use the 5 random
integers and no other numbers. Write the OOOPS! expression in the
correct column of the worksheet.
Example 1
OOOPS! number is 32
5 random integers are {5, 18, 8, 12, 13}
OOOPS! expression is 5 + 18 + 8 + (13-12) = 32 Right on it!
Write 0 in the +/- column.
Example 2
OOOPS! number is 64
5 random integers are {2, 20, 4, 8, 3}
OOOPS! expression is 32 + 20 + 4 · 8 = 61
61 is 3 away from 64, so write 3 in the +/- column.
OOOPS!
OOOPS!
Number
Worksheet
5 Random
OOOPS!
Integers
Expression
+/-