Making 5+5+5=550 a True Statement

Date: 9/30/95 at 11:56:34
From: Katie Claussen
Subject: math problem!

My name is Katie Claussen.  And at my school, Moravian Academy, 
Bethlehem Pennsylvania, we have this math problem that we have 
been working on and working on but our teacher won't give us the 
answer.  Maybe you can help:

5+5+5=550.  Add one line to this to make this statement true.  It 
must be a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line.  And it cannot go 
through the = or the +'s.

I'm stumped!

Date: 10/2/95 at 13:42:51
From: Doctor Steve
Subject: Re: math problem!

Hi Katie,

We have two solutions so far, both of which involve changing 
either a + or the = sign. We assume from your message that it's 
permissable to draw a line which touches but does not go through a 
plus or equals.

We can modify a + to turn it into an equality or we can change the 
= sign to make a true statement.

See if those hints are helpful.

-Doctor Steve,  The Geometry Forum