48÷2(9+3) = ?

mickey megabyte · 12 May 2011

SledgeDG said:

mickey megabyte said:

i protest!

(48÷2)(9+3) is not valid syntax for arithmetic! - at least it wasn't when they were trying to educate me.4

I don't see anything wrong with Bill's Syntax.

I learned that operations with Brackets (or are those parentheses?) are assumed Multiplications unless specified otherwise.
Letters in Algebra are only substitutes/placeholders for numbers, so it wouldn't make any sense at all to apply a different set of rules here

maybe things have changed since i went to school, but back then different syntatical rules applied in arithmetic and algebra.

for instance, in arithmetic 52 = 52 (ie 5*10 + 2), however in algebra, it's different: for example, ab=a*b, so it does make sense to apply a different set of rules in the two separate fields of mathematics. at least, it makes sense to me

SmurofNeves · 12 May 2011

This goes both ways I'd say...

rbeldua · 12 May 2011

Bill2 said:

He he Micky, you went to school a loooong time ago.

Ok, suppose we solve like this.

48÷2(9+3)
= 48÷2(12)

Now, as per BODMAS, the division operator takes precedence over the (implied) multiplication operator so:

=24(12)
=288.

Can I vote again?

parenthesis is used to divide pertaining to an operation to be done in this case 48÷2(9+3), 2(9+3) note that parenthesis is used in (9+3) means do this first (9+3)=12, next 2(12) still parenthesis has not been removed so 2(12)=24, final operation is 48÷24=2

another method for 48÷2(9+3) is to distribute 2 inside (9+3), (18+6)=24, then 48÷24=2 (Distributive Law)

oreo27 · 12 May 2011

rbeldua said:

Bill2 said:

He he Micky, you went to school a loooong time ago.

Ok, suppose we solve like this.

48÷2(9+3)
= 48÷2(12)

Now, as per BODMAS, the division operator takes precedence over the (implied) multiplication operator so:

=24(12)
=288.

Can I vote again?

parenthesis is used to divide pertaining to an operation to be done in this case 48÷2(9+3), 2(9+3) note that parenthesis is used in (9+3) means do this first (9+3)=12, next 2(12) still parenthesis has not been removed so 2(12)=24, final operation is 48÷24=2 Distributive Law

Are you a professor of some sort?

Bill2 · 12 May 2011

Distributive law says get rid of brackets, but does it say when?

rbeldua · 12 May 2011

[QUOTE=oreo27

Are you a professor of some sort?[/QUOTE]

where? who me? no...

rbeldua · 12 May 2011

Bill2 said:

Distributive law says get rid of brackets, but does it say when?

yes they did in some text books. mostly basics

Bill2 · 12 May 2011

By adding the 9 + 3 in the brackets, the distributive law has been taken care of. After that BODMAS takes over.

oreo27 · 12 May 2011

Here's the final verdict. It's 288. I stand corrected. I'll post my source if you guys would like me to.

SmurofNeves · 12 May 2011

I change my mind I should've gone 288...

48÷2(9+3) = ?

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