Question

A + B means A is the mother of B, A ÷ B means A is the father of B, A – B means A is the sister of B, A × B means A is the brother of B. What does P ÷ Q – R mean?

• A. P is R's uncle
• B. Q is R's mother
• C. P is R's father
• D. R is P's mother

Answer 1

Answer:

C. P is R's father

Step-by-Step Analysis of Blood Relation Symbols

• P ÷ Q: According to the given logic, the division symbol (÷) indicates that the first person is the father of the second. Therefore, P is the father of Q.
• Q – R: The subtraction symbol (–) indicates that the first person is the sister of the second. Therefore, Q is the sister of R.

Synthesis of Relationships

• Since P is the father of Q, and Q is the sister of R, it implies that R is also a child of P.
• Because Q is female (as she is a sister), P is the father of both Q and R.
• Conclusion: P is the father of R (and Q).

Tips for Solving Blood Relation Problems

• Gender Identification: Always assign gender (+ for male, - for female) to the entities as you process the expression. This reduces confusion in multi-step problems.
• Directionality: Be extremely careful with the order of operations. In this problem, A ÷ B means A is the father of B; if the order were reversed to B ÷ A, the meaning would change to B being the father of A.
• Tree Diagrams: Drawing a simple family tree helps visualize the hierarchy. Place the parent (P) on a higher level than the children (Q and R) and use a horizontal line to connect siblings (Q and R).