Elementary Brain Teaser




Exactly Once?

Use each of the digits 1, 2, 4, and 8 once to make a number sentence that equals zero. You may use any operation (add, subtract, multiply, or divide) as many times as you wish. You may use parentheses in your solution.


Correct Solutions:


  1. Helen Tseng. Morgantown ES, Natchez, MS
  2. Morana Golub. Lucko ES, Zagreb, Croatia
  3. Grace Tseng. Morgantown ES, Natchez, MS
  4. Stephanie Neuman. Grandview ES, Erie, PA
  5. Mary Rhollans. Miller ES, Canton, MI
  6. Barbara Zarnick. Ridgefield ES, Erie, PA
  7. Erica Blake. Walnut Creek MS, Erie, PA
  8. Maria Silvia Parra, Asunci¢n de la Virgen, Olivos, Argentina
  9. Michael Stephenson. Forest Lake ES, Deltona, FL
  10. Adam Kho. Briarlake ES, Decatur, GA
  11. Catherine Barratt. Oberthur PS, Bull Creek, Perth, Australia
  12. Tyler Hall. Wolcott Street ES, LeRoy, NY
  13. Boon Yong Hong. Obethur PS, Perth, Australia
  14. Mai Goto. Taguchi ES, Aichi, Japan
  15. Jon Allain. Jefferson ES, Jefferson, MA
  16. Robbie Harrison. Geneva ES, Geneva, FL
  17. Jason Strouse. Geneva ES, Geneva, FL
  18. Joshua Jackson. Randall ES, Madison, WI
  19. Ray Hibbler. Randall ES, Madison, WI
  20. Tim Machado. Sunrise ES, Albany, OR
  21. David Fife. Sunrise ES, Albany, OR
  22. Mike Moore. Sunrise ES, Albany, OR
  23. Andrew Barlow. Sunrise ES, Albany, OR
  24. James hansen. Sunrise ES, Albany, OR
  25. Altaira Brassfield. Sunrise ES, Albany, OR
  26. Kayla Hastings. Lincoln Akerman ES, Hampton Falls, NH
  27. Maxine Townsend. Lincoln Akerman ES, Hampton Falls, NH
  28. Nicole Day. Sunrise ES, Albany, OR
  29. Stephanie Nickles. Lincoln Akerman ES, Hampton Falls, NH
  30. Nick Midura. Lincoln Akerman ES, Hampton Falls, NH
  31. Rossli chace. Lincoln Akerman ES, Hampton Falls, NH
  32. Andrew Huebner Lincoln Akerman ES, Hampton Falls, NH
  33. Andrew Nutting. Lake Highland Prep, Orlando, FL
  34. Hugh Millar. Scotch College JHS, Torrens Park, South Australia
  35. Raj Viswananthan, Middlebury PS, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
  36. Allison Flemmingo. Highland ES, Apple Valley, MN
  37. Emily Ross. Zervas ES, Waban, MA
  38. Jenny Coukos. Zervas ES, Waban, MA
  39. Ben Krumholz. Zervas ES, Waban, MA
  40. Rashaud Skeens. Zervas ES, Waban, MA
  41. Adam Thornton. Walnut Creek MS, Erie, PA
  42. Karen Vineyard. Sunrise School, Albany, OR
  43. Jimmy Henebry. Lincoln Akerman School, Hampton Falls, NH
  44. Terri Martin. Lincoln Akerman School, Hampton Falls, NH
  45. KC Smith. Lincoln Akerman School, Hampton Falls, NH
  46. Allyson Lagasse. Wells ES, Wells, ME
  47. Ouqi Jiang. Gentry MS, Columbia, MO
  48. Krystina E. Ortega. Miami Springs ES, Miami Springs, FL
  49. Tenneille Loo. Middlebury PS, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
  50. Elizabeth Laplante. Antioch ES, Crestview, FL
  51. Anna Schapiro. Zervas School, Waban, MA
  52. Amanda Gross. Zervas School, Waban, MA
  53. Melanie Michel. Zervas School, Waban, MA
  54. Asaf Ben-Gai. Zervas School. Waban, MA
  55. John Huang. Zervas School. Waban, MA
  56. Abraham Thomas. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  57. Devin Cozart. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  58. Chelsea Jackson. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  59. Lynn Leandre. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  60. Chelsea Jackson. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  61. Matthew Ortega. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  62. Jordan Laloan. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  63. Andrew Marquez. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  64. Pamela Epstein. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  65. Matthew Watson. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  66. John Abraham. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  67. Daniel Guanzon. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  68. Talha Anwar. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  69. Francesca Ball. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  70. Adam Browning. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  71. Adam Basile. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  72. Keriann DeRosa. Colton ES, Spring Valley, NY
  73. Dominic O'Prey. St. Colmille'HS, Crossgar, County Down, Ireland
  74. Kayla Friesen. West Park School, Altona, Manitoba, Canada
  75. Jonathan Sawatzky. West Park School, Altona, Manitoba, Canada
  76. David Peters. West Park School, Altona, Manitoba, Canada
  77. Kevin Rempel. West Park School, Altona, Manitoba, Canada
  78. Leonard Anghelescu. Broadlands PS, North York, Ontario, Canada
  79. Toni Machos. Lanes Mill ES, Brick, NJ
  80. Hannah Gordon. Tracy ES, Easton, PA
  81. Sheldon Dueck. West Park School, Altona, Manitoba, Canada
  82. Ashley Olance. Ralya ES, Haslett, MI
  83. Erica Betts. Ralya ES, Haslett, MI
  84. Ray Conroy. Ralya ES, Haslett, MI
  85. Garrett Lott. Ralya ES, Haslett, MI
  86. Sam Brown. Ralya ES, Haslett, MI
  87. Marc Wegener. Ralya ES, Haslett, MI
  88. Aaron Miller. Ralya ES, Haslett, MI
  89. Caitie Davis. Ralya ES, Haslett, MI
  90. Galina Blass. Ormond Beach MS, Ormond Beach, FL
  91. Sarah Filman. Frank Ashley Day MS, Newton, MA
  92. Andrew Johnston. Lyndale School, Minneapolis, MN
  93. Jason Kise. Lyndale School, Minneapolis, MN
  94. Wolfgang Kuster. Lyndale School, Minneapolis, MN
  95. Tao Tao Chen. Ellis ES, Sunnyvale, CA
  96. Leslie Satchfield. Palms ES, Fair Haven, MI





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