48÷2(9+3)

[Nephthys]

Something We're doing on Facebook right now. Huge debate. Is the answer 288 or 2 please show your work, theories for the correct answer.

[Nesh]

The right answer is 288.
You always divide or multipy first...Then The number you got (48÷2=24) you multiply it with the first number which here is nine (24x9) and then with the second one(24x3) and you get 216+72=288
That is all ;3

[Furore]

288.
Me being a lazy SOB, I entered it brackets and all into my fave scientific calculator.

[GameGeeks]

Yup, like Avr said. You always divide or multiply first. No real theories needed. Only way you can get two is if you wrongly multiply first.

[Nephthys]

I say the answer is 2 according the rule of PEMDAS meaning you start with what is in parenthesis. The
(9+3) which is 12.
then multiplication which is 2*12=24 Then Division which is
48/12=2

[Skilero]

Something We're doing on Facebook right now. Huge debate. Is the answer 288 or 2 please show your work, theories for the correct answer.

I say the answer is 2 according the rule of PEMDAS meaning you start with what is in parenthesis. The
(9+3) which is 12.
then multiplication which is 2*12=24 Then Division which is
48/12=2

PEMDAS is flawed in that Multiplication and Division are to be done from left-to-right order, just as addition and subtraction are. You really should just memorize the process on your own instead of relying on mechanisms like this.

The answer is 288.

Do realize that the parentheses at the beginning of PEMDAS only applies to the work needed to be done inside the parentheses. Anything to the outside of the parentheses is deemed to be multiplication and will have to be done left-to-right with division.

[╬Karami Mew~Meow]

PEMDAS is flawed in that Multiplication and Division are to be done from left-to-right order, just as addition and subtraction are. You really should just memorize the process on your own instead of relying on mechanisms like this.

The answer is 288.

Precisely just what I said.

[OminousCloud]

Calculations are worked from left to right.
Brackets and parentheses are worked first
Powers and roots are worked out next (often referred to as exponents or orders)
Multiplication and division are worked next as they occur from left to right
Addition and subtraction are worked last from left to right.


The answer is 2.

The original equation is 48÷2(9+3).
2(9+3) is one complete term and cannot be split up. This term already comes with an order of operations! It must be worked out first before solving from left to right.
48÷2(9+3) = 48÷2(12), the bracket has not gone away and brackets take precedence.
= 48÷24
= 2

Proof:
Let (9+3) = x and let our solutions be (1) 2, and (2) 288:

(1)
48÷2(x)=2
expand the bracket first 48÷2x=2
48= 2*2x
48= 4x
x=12. 9+3 = 12

(2)
48÷2(x)=288
48= 288*2x
48=576x
x=0.083, but we know that x was (9+3)

[Wio]

Proof:
Let (9+3) = x and let our solutions be (1) 2, and (2) 288:

(1)
48÷2(x)=2
expand the bracket first 48÷2x=2
48= 2*2x
48= 4x
x=12. 9+3 = 12

(2)
48÷2(x)=288
48= 288*2x
48=576x
x=0.083, but we know that x was (9+3)

(1)
48÷2(x)=2
expand the bracket first 48÷2x=2
x = 2÷(48÷2)
x = 2÷24
x= 0.08333333...

(2)
48÷2(x)=288
48÷2x=288
x = 288 ÷ (48 ÷ 2)
x = 288 ÷ 24
x = 12. 9+3 = 12



1/2x is bad form, but when push comes to shove it should be parsed as 1 * 2 ^ -1 * x = (1/2)x and not 1/(2x). This is according to your own left to right rule. By the way, a term is basically what you get when you separate an expression on addition or subtraction. So 48÷2(9+3) altogether is a term. Also, parenthesis does not mean that multiplication near parenthesis must come first. 2(2) = 2 * (2). You wouldn't say 10 - 2 + (3) should be 10 - 5 just because the parenthesis is near the plus operation.

[Meteorkeeper]

AAARRGGGG math get it away!! get it away!!! *bursts into flames*

Seriously though it's without a doubt 288.
So says the mighty laws of mathematics.

[GameGeeks]

Um, no. Yes you do what's in the parentheses first, but after that you go in order of operations which starts at the beginning of the equation which would be 48/2 which is 24. Then you times that by 12 which is 288. To get 2 the equation would need to look like 48/(2(9+3)).

[Nephthys]

true but to get 288 the equation would have to look like this (48/2) (9+3)=

[Eris]

I say it's ambiguous, as I take multiplication and division to have the same precedence. You could either mean

48 / (2(9+3))
or
(48 / 2) * (9+3)

If ever you write an expression that's ambiguous like this, your problem isn't how do I evaluate it, it's that you've written an ambiguous expression.

For sanity's sake, write out the fraction (instead of using ÷ or /) if it's more than just a fraction of two numbers.

[Derrick Remon]

I say it's ambiguous, as I take multiplication and division to have the same precedence. You could either mean

48 / (2(9+3))
or
(48 / 2) * (9+3)

If ever you write an expression that's ambiguous like this, your problem isn't how do I evaluate it, it's that you've written an ambiguous expression.

For sanity's sake, write out the fraction (instead of using ÷ or /) if it's more than just a fraction of two numbers.

I wanted to scream this, but I didn't want to start some debate over basic expression.

[GameGeeks]

Or the other way Eris put it. Wouldn't have bothered with the edit if I had seen Eris's post.

[Skylar1]

Do you really need a calculator for this..?

[Eris]

In essence, what I want you to take home is


Where the last suggestion is to just evaluate it. It's simple arithmetic. Tiny children can do it.

[GameGeeks]

On second thought. I miss read Eris's post. I don't see how it's ambiguous when nothing else was stated making it a simple mathematical equation. You do what in the parentheses first and then since you're left with just multiplication and division you go by what comes first which is division so the only logical answer is 288.

EDIT: I don't get where you're getting the fraction from since she used the division sign. I just don't know how to do that on a keyboard so I've been using / since it's an often accepted symbol for division.

[animeyay]

I'd say 288 since multiplication and division are in the same order of operation, so unless another pair of parentheses are there, then you move from left to right.

[DOOM!]

Just use the simple logic: multiplications precede divisions and parantheses always get calculated first.
If you mean to start polemics about the above stated, then it means math language is faulty.

[Nephthys]

Just use the simple logic: multiplications precede divisions and parantheses always get calculated first.
If you mean to start polemics about the above stated, then it means math language is faulty.

Multiplication does not precede division they are interchangeable.

[Nesh]

Overall, It'll be better if you got an assignment, that says if you need 2 go with parantheses or multiplications & divisions first!!

[Nephthys]

Overall, It'll be better if you got an assignment, that says if you need 2 go with parantheses or multiplications & divisions first!!

Parenthesis is always first.

[Nesh]

What if the assingnment doesn't aquires Parenthesis??
What if the real answer is 288 instead of 2 and you write down 2??...Or maybe 2 instead os 288 and you write 2??

-No wonder you're debating this on Facebook!Afterall it has two right answers...This continues to go around in never ending circles!!

[GameGeeks]

There would be no math teacher that'd give an assignment that says ignore one of the basic laws of math. Just wont happen. The only answer is 288. If you get any other answer you're doing it wrong. There's no two right answers. It's basic math.

48÷2(9+3)
(9+3)=12
48÷2x3
48÷2=24
24x12=288

If these two line are equal, then 9 = 0.