48÷2(9+3) = ?
Two answers: 2 or 288
I first saw this on another forum and then subsequently on others. The amount of threads arguing which answer is the correct one is hilarious.
So where does SF stand?
i got stuck at the 2(9+3) stage
do you mean 2 * (9+3)?
I'd go for what feels like my age this morning, but the correct answer is 2. Either side of the division (÷) symbol are separate entities.
2.
For the answer to be 288, the problem should have been (48÷2)(9+3)
i protest!
(48÷2)(9+3) is not valid syntax for arithmetic! - at least it wasn't when they were trying to educate me.
in algebra, with the numbers replaced by letters, it may work..but not in arithmetic...that's why we have the multiplication sign.
sorry to spoil your fun, but there it is.
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
i protest!
(48÷2)(9+3) is not valid syntax for arithmetic! - at least it wasn't when they were trying to educate me.
in algebra, with the numbers replaced by letters, it may work..but not in arithmetic...that's why we have the multiplication sign.
sorry to spoil your fun, but there it is.
parenthesis is also a sign of multiplication so does an asterisk, but mostly in algebra parenthesis is used to replace the multiplication sign x so not to misunderstood x which is the unknown, 2x + 2x(x+1) find x, as for 2x1=2
in this case (48÷2)(9+3) involving more than one operation, a parenthesis is used which means 48÷2=24 and then 9+3=12...final operation is to multiply 24 and 12 which is 288
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?
Quote
