Math Hurts: 48÷2(9+3)

[niky]

48÷2(9+3)

And the answer is...?

 

[lukecfc]

48/2(12)
48/24
2

 

[Joel]

48/2(6)

48/12

= 4?

Oh, nevermind. It's 9+3, not minus 3. I'm a moron and lukecfc's right.

 

[Danny]

I'm generally awful at mathematics.

I'm thrilled to bits that I too managed to reach an answer of 2. Please let it be right.

 

[grymey]

Not this one again.

I say 288. If you want 2, put in some extra brackets, 48÷(2(9+3)).

 

[uMadson?]

48/2(9+3)
=48/2(12)
=24(12)
=288

 

[Azuremen]

The answer is 2.

The proper, modern way to write that is 48/2(9+3).

Honestly, the real issue with this is that NO ONE actually uses the "÷" symbol once you get out of grade school.

And it is amusing to see the different systems being used, BEDMAS and PEMDAS, because they are taught in different parts of the world. The US gets PEMDAS, and Europe and Canada go with BEDMAS. Of course, the issue with either of these mnemonics is that they don't really convey that multiplication and division share equal weight as operations.

 

[Solid Lifters]

288?

 

[gogatrs]

2

 

[lukecfc]

Not this one again.

I say 288. If you want 2, put in some extra brackets, 48÷(2(9+3)).

Well if you're a calculator then that would be right, but on paper, 2(9+3) still counts as brackets. Then you use BEDMAS. We need a Famine in here.

 

[Solid Lifters]

I see, you do all the 'right side' math and move to the left?

 

[Sage]

Uh, if we take 48÷2(9+3) to be the equivalent of 48÷2*(9+3), then order of operations would indicate 48÷2*12 = 24*12 = 288.

 

[itsbenjibrand]

Wouldn't it end up being 48/2(12)? Which would be 24x12? Which would be 24x12? Which would be 288? Or it could be 2. But I'm pretty sure it's 288.

 

[Danoff]

That's why you don't write it like that.

 

[Azuremen]

The way this would look, written out properly, would be like this.

Which is why it results as a 2.

 

[niky]

Not this one again.

I say 288. If you want 2, put in some extra brackets, 48÷(2(9+3)).

I say 2! If you want 288, write out an explicit multiplication notation: 48÷2*(9+3)




Of course, since explicit versus implicit notation isn't a hard rule, you could be right.

 

[tfujiwara]

Its 288.

 

[Type S Tony]

Answer is 288

48/2 X's 9+3 = 288

 

[Azuremen]

I say 2! If you want 288, write out an explicit multiplication notation: 48÷2*(9+3)

Of course, since explicit versus implicit notation isn't a hard rule, you could be right.

It basically is if you go into anything resembling actual math and science classes. When I see something like this above, I just assume everything in the brackets is multiplied by that amount, and I'm sure 99% of engineers and math students would say the same.

And I don't really see any point in people just posting "288" or "2" if they aren't going to say anything else. Just add a poll for that bit. Honestly, this is just going to turn into people that work with implied multiplication versus those that actually write out the "÷" for division and "x" or "*" for multiplication.

 

[Type S Tony]

It basically is if you go into anything resembling actual math and science classes. When I see something like this above, I just assume everything in the brackets is multiplied by that amount, and I'm sure 99% of engineers and math students would say the same.

Cant believe im about to agree with you on something

 

[Azuremen]

Cant believe im about to agree with you on something

If you actually agreed with me, your answer would be 2

 

[Type S Tony]

If you actually agreed with me, your answer would be 2

Oh Mi, Never mind then, I prob should learn to read a little deeper into things.

 

[leowan731]

I started doing my geometry HW just now and I saw this. I was like,"This might be useful."
But I came out all confused. I would say that the answer would be 2 because of the lack of parentheses before the two and behind the last parentheses.

 

[niky]

Poll added.

I refrain from participating in the poll because the AUP bans me from posting material that I know is false.

 

[burgermaster]

48÷2(9+3)

And the answer is...?

48 divided by 2 is 24. 9 plus 3 is 12. with brackets you multiply. so...24 times 12 equals 288. i'm 15 btw.

 

[Azuremen]

Poll added.

I refrain from participating in the poll because the AUP bans me from posting material that I know is false.

You've created a monster. This is just going to be like that stupid Airplane on a treadmill question we had years ago.

48 divided by 2 is 24. 9 plus 3 is 12. with brackets you multiply. so...24 times 12 equals 288. i'm 15 btw.

Why does your age matter? Aside from indicating you've likely never taken advanced math...

 

[wfooshee]

Order of operation, the parentheses are done first, then it's left to right as encountered, since the rest is multiplication and division. There's no rule to indicate that the 2*12 should be first, or that they should both be "under" the 48 as a divisor.

Had there been exponents, those would come before multiplication and division, and had there been addition and subtraction, those would be done last. Since the addition is inside the only set of parentheses it's done first.

48 divided by 2, then times 12.

24 times 12

288

 

[GTR3mh]

The answer really can be either 288 or 2, as the formatting leads to either result being correct. If it was referring to 48/2*(9+3), which was them simplified to 24*12, then you get 288, but if it was written as
48
---
2(9+3)
Then the answer would be 2 and 2 only. It's really all about if you count the 2 as a multiplier for the brackets, which leads to confusion.

 

[Sharky.]

The answer is both 2 and 288, because the question is ambiguous. Whether you get 2 or 288 depends if you consider implicit multiplication to take higher precedence over explicit multiplication/division or not, in which case you evaluate 2(9+3) first - giving you an answer of 2.

If you follow the traditional order of operations mnemonic to the letter you get 288 (48/2 is evaluated first = 24, then multiplied by 12).

Also:

 

[arora]

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/48293