Math Hurts: 48÷2(9+3)

[Speedy Samurai]

When I first saw it, from my initial workings out, I would have got 288, but I understand how people say it's 2. The original layout is pretty ambiguous so I can see why there's a confusion.

I saw the thread title and immediately came up with 2, then was shocked when others were answering 288.

 

[48÷2(9+3)=288]

I used the BEDMAS order of operations (Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction) and got an answer of 288.

 

[Type S Tony]

This has oficially hit the internets:

 

[gtdriver12]

Those answering 288 are removing the parentheses before finishing the equation. 48/2(12) still needs the parentheses removed before dividing. 48/2(9+3) = 48/2(12) = 48/24 = 2, end of.

 

[tfujiwara]

How about you make the problem into a real life situation?
for example: You have a tree with 48 lemons, and your mom wants have of them but you have 9 people at your house and you have 3 kids.

uhh.... Is that right^? I dont know but just to give you an Idea.

 

[niky]

The sad thing is, I looked up the obvious sites, and all of them proclaimed the answer is 288.

Try as I might, though, I couldn't come up with any answer but 2.

To get 288... You need to rewrite a/bc as:

ac
b

and not:

a
bc

Not gonna happen any time soon.

 

[Rykon Zero]

I came up with two. Maybe it's just the way I learned it, but whatever.

48÷2(9+3)

Well, I always follow PEMDAS. So, solve the parenthesis.

48÷2(12)

Urgh, there's still a parenthesis. Multiply that out to get rid of it.

48÷24

No more annoying parenthesis! Cue the long division!

2.

And that's my answer. I usually keep going with the implied multiplication until the equation is written without the parenthesis or an additional "*".

 

[Frostyboys]

48/2(12)
24(12) order of operations ppl left to right
288

 

[granturismite]

I see it as:

48/2(9+3)

= 48/2(12)
= 48/24
= 2

As people have said, parenthesis before multiplication. HOWEVER...

the 2(12) is still part of parenthesis, therefore making it 48/24 rather than the other method which I still don't quite understand.

 

[Frostyboys]

I see it as:

48/2(9+3)

= 48/2(12)
= 48/24
= 2

As people have said, parenthesis before multiplication. HOWEVER...

the 2(12) is still part of parenthesis, therefore making it 48/24 rather than the other method which I still don't quite understand.

2 is not part of the parenthesis only 12

 

[nk4e]

288?

 

[Foglight]

That was fun. I didn't read all the pages, but made it up to about page 5. I suck at math and never got past grade 10 but came up with both answers depending on how it was written. As written in the original form I got 288.

Written in this form....

48
_____

2(9+3)

I got 2.

When I asked my Iphone to perform the calculation it wouldn't give me either answer until I clarified what I wanted done.

So the correct answer is iphone or Apple FTW.

Edit: This is the mathematical equivalent to "I helped my uncle jack off a horse."

 

[Danoff]

Just to make it as clear as possible for anyone reading this thread. The issue with the notation as it is is the division sign. Nobody uses "÷", and there is a reason for that. The proper notation is a line with one number over the other so that the faction is obvious - much as Foglight did just above me.

The problem can be read either way, depending on what you interpret the fraction as. That's why nobody uses that notation after about 5th grade, because it's broken. If this problem were written using proper mathematical notation, nobody could possibly have gotten any number other than the right one.

 

[delta-assassin-]

I expect most people between 12 and 16 to get 288 but I see how people get 2 but the real answer is 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 (42 42s go douglas adams!) I'm off to troll my maths lesson

 

[Driving Park]

288?

My favorite part is the number line. As if we couldn't tell what the number was before.

 

[Matty]

well the way i would do it is:

48/2(9+3)

48/2(12)

48/24

=2

the reason I got that answer is because the way I was thought was to do brackets, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction in that order. I think it was BOMDAS that I was thought.
B = Brackets
O = Over (This has no real point but it's there anyway.)
M = Multiplication
D = Division
A = Addition
S = Subtraction

 

[Frostyboys]

well the way i would do it is:

48/2(9+3)

48/2(12)

48/24

=2

the reason I got that answer is because the way I was thought was to do brackets, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction in that order. I think it was BOMDAS that I was thought.
B = Brackets
O = Over (This has no real point but it's there anyway.)
M = Multiplication
D = Division
A = Addition
S = Subtraction

left to right
so it's
48/2(12)
24(12)
288
arg im 12

 

[Stigsblkcousin]

well the way i would do it is:

48/2(9+3)

48/2(12)

48/24

=2

the reason I got that answer is because the way I was thought was to do brackets, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction in that order. I think it was BOMDAS that I was thought.
B = Brackets
O = Over (This has no real point but it's there anyway.)
M = Multiplication
D = Division
A = Addition
S = Subtraction

Actually its Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

Parenthesis
Exponents
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction

Thats probably why the "O" makes no sense, unless you guys across the pond have another word for exponents.

 

[freight48]

Actually its Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

Parenthesis
Exponents
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction

Thats probably why the "O" makes no sense, unless you guys across the pond have another word for exponents.

Brackets
Exponents
Division
Multiplication
Addition
Subtraction

BEDMAS.

 

[Mr. CoolFiat]

^ This