Maths Question

[randomsix]

If the (9+3) was meant to be divided, it would look like 48/(2(9+3). Formatting conventions are your friend.

 

[Heart of Darkness]

There is no real answer because it's been written in a purposefully retarded way with no clarification.

This. The actual discussion here is being treated as two different expressions: (48/2)(9+3) and 48/(2(9+3)).

For the sake of argument, let's simplify (9+3) to (12) and set 2 equal to the variable a (a = 2). Now we have the expression 48/a(12). So how do you simplify it? As 4/a (= 48/(12a)), or as 576/a (= (48*12)/a)? Without explicit separation and grouping of the terms, the question just simply becomes stupidly ambiguous.

 

[Outright Villainy]

Wasn't the whole question about the divsion sign? / would imply everything past that is below the line, so to speak.

In this case, I'll say the answer is 2.

No it doesn't, or else that would make writing out very long equations even more complicated.

Look at it like this if the other way confuses you.

48*.5*(9+3)

Well, if I were writing out an equation such as that, there's no way in hell I'd put in on one line, because that would make it unnecessarily complicated. And if I did have to do it on one line, I'd bracket everything to avoid this sort of pointless confusion.

 

[silasbufu]

I'm sorry, I really hate to be "that guy" and all, but this was done like 3-4 days ago..Come on..

Also, it's 288.

 

[Thamous]

There is no real answer because it's been written in a purposefully retarded way with no clarification.

This. The actual discussion here is being treated as two different expressions: (48/2)(9+3) and 48/(2(9+3)).

For the sake of argument, let's simplify (9+3) to (12) and set 2 equal to the variable a (a = 2). Now we have the expression 48/a(12). So how do you simplify it? As 4/a (= 48/(12a)), or as 576/a (= (48*12)/a)? Without explicit separation and grouping of the terms, the question just simply becomes stupidly ambiguous.

No, it can't be treated as 48/(2(9+3)) because that isn't the problem. You can't just add parenthesis and say is ambiguous. As it stands, it is extremely easy to solve so long as you understand the order of operations.
I honestly don't know how we can be debating what the answer is.

 

[squidtm]

The only difference is that the horizontal line is more clearly a grouping symbol.

Small issue in that they aren't grouped in the original equation.

They are. A / means the same thing as a horizontal line. It just isn't as clear.

 

[Heart of Darkness]

There is no real answer because it's been written in a purposefully retarded way with no clarification.

This. The actual discussion here is being treated as two different expressions: (48/2)(9+3) and 48/(2(9+3)).

For the sake of argument, let's simplify (9+3) to (12) and set 2 equal to the variable a (a = 2). Now we have the expression 48/a(12). So how do you simplify it? As 4/a (= 48/(12a)), or as 576/a (= (48*12)/a)? Without explicit separation and grouping of the terms, the question just simply becomes stupidly ambiguous.

No, it can't be treated as 48/(2(9+3)) because that isn't the problem. You can't just add parenthesis and say is ambiguous. As it stands, it is extremely easy to solve so long as you understand the order of operations.
I honestly don't know how we can be debating what the answer is.

I understand order of operations, but it doesn't make the question suddenly less ambiguous. Expressions in math that follow the format of a(b+c) can be treated as (ab+ac), and this is where the hangup on this question lies.

Out of curiosity, how would evaluate 14/7(a) when a = 2? As 4 or 1?

 

[Thamous]

There is no real answer because it's been written in a purposefully retarded way with no clarification.

This. The actual discussion here is being treated as two different expressions: (48/2)(9+3) and 48/(2(9+3)).

For the sake of argument, let's simplify (9+3) to (12) and set 2 equal to the variable a (a = 2). Now we have the expression 48/a(12). So how do you simplify it? As 4/a (= 48/(12a)), or as 576/a (= (48*12)/a)? Without explicit separation and grouping of the terms, the question just simply becomes stupidly ambiguous.

No, it can't be treated as 48/(2(9+3)) because that isn't the problem. You can't just add parenthesis and say is ambiguous. As it stands, it is extremely easy to solve so long as you understand the order of operations.
I honestly don't know how we can be debating what the answer is.

I understand order of operations, but it doesn't make the question suddenly less ambiguous. Expressions in math that follow the format of a(b+c) can be treated as (ab+ac), and this is where the hangup on this question lies.

Out of curiosity, how would evaluate 14/7(a) when a = 2? As 4 or 1?

14/7(2)
14/7*2
2*2
4
Multiplication and division have equal priority so its done from left to right. There is no operation within the parenthesis so it serves no real purpose.

 

[Heart of Darkness]

There is no real answer because it's been written in a purposefully retarded way with no clarification.

This. The actual discussion here is being treated as two different expressions: (48/2)(9+3) and 48/(2(9+3)).

For the sake of argument, let's simplify (9+3) to (12) and set 2 equal to the variable a (a = 2). Now we have the expression 48/a(12). So how do you simplify it? As 4/a (= 48/(12a)), or as 576/a (= (48*12)/a)? Without explicit separation and grouping of the terms, the question just simply becomes stupidly ambiguous.

No, it can't be treated as 48/(2(9+3)) because that isn't the problem. You can't just add parenthesis and say is ambiguous. As it stands, it is extremely easy to solve so long as you understand the order of operations.
I honestly don't know how we can be debating what the answer is.

I understand order of operations, but it doesn't make the question suddenly less ambiguous. Expressions in math that follow the format of a(b+c) can be treated as (ab+ac), and this is where the hangup on this question lies.

Out of curiosity, how would evaluate 14/7(a) when a = 2? As 4 or 1?

14/7(2)
14/7*2
2*2
4
Multiplication and division have equal priority so its done from left to right. There is no operation within the parenthesis so it serves no real purpose.

And then what happens when I rewrite the equation without the parentheses, as 14/7a? Still 4?

 

[NoseDigger]

Putting that into a calculator gives 288, as many others have mentioned. I never question my calculators answers, merely my inputs.

 

[Simmo8591]

as someone with a masters in Mathematics i give the following answers:

1. technically it's 288 under BODMAS
2. due to the ease and simplicity of coding such as TeX no one would ever write that line as it is very ambiguous
3. Having a masters in this stuff is unrelated, BODMAS is GCSE stuff, nothing I learn't at university ever helped answer this more than BODMAS will

 

[Thamous]

There is no real answer because it's been written in a purposefully retarded way with no clarification.

This. The actual discussion here is being treated as two different expressions: (48/2)(9+3) and 48/(2(9+3)).

For the sake of argument, let's simplify (9+3) to (12) and set 2 equal to the variable a (a = 2). Now we have the expression 48/a(12). So how do you simplify it? As 4/a (= 48/(12a)), or as 576/a (= (48*12)/a)? Without explicit separation and grouping of the terms, the question just simply becomes stupidly ambiguous.

No, it can't be treated as 48/(2(9+3)) because that isn't the problem. You can't just add parenthesis and say is ambiguous. As it stands, it is extremely easy to solve so long as you understand the order of operations.
I honestly don't know how we can be debating what the answer is.

I understand order of operations, but it doesn't make the question suddenly less ambiguous. Expressions in math that follow the format of a(b+c) can be treated as (ab+ac), and this is where the hangup on this question lies.

Out of curiosity, how would evaluate 14/7(a) when a = 2? As 4 or 1?

14/7(2)
14/7*2
2*2
4
Multiplication and division have equal priority so its done from left to right. There is no operation within the parenthesis so it serves no real purpose.

And then what happens when I rewrite the equation without the parentheses, as 14/7a? Still 4?

Yes.

 

[Eumersian]

PEMDAS

Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.

48/2(9+3)

P - (9+3) = 12
E - None
M - 2(12) = 24
D - 48/24 = 2
A - None
S - None

Is it 2?

 

[Thundero13]

BEDMAS: Brackets, exponents, division, multiplication, addition, subtraction.

Brackets first makes it 48/2(12)

Next, division. 48/2 = 24

24(12)= 288

That's just my two cents though. I'm sure I made a mistake in there somewhere.

Its 288.

Do it in order of BODMAS.

Brackets Order Division Multiplication Addition Subtraction.

I learned three of them over my time in school BOMDAS, BIMDAS & BIRDMAS they stood for: Brackets Of/Indexes Multiplacation Division Addition Subtraction, and BIRDMAS stood for Brackets Indexes Routes Division Multiplacation Addition Subtraction as for the equation the answer is 288

 

[Ertol]

Technically this problem states

48(9+3)
------- Add 9+3 to get 12, multiply 48 and 12, then divide by 2. You end up with 288.
2

Because the (9+3) is in parenthesis, it is multiplied to the numerator, or top.

 

[Woodsey]

BEDMAS: Brackets, exponents, division, multiplication, addition, subtraction.

Brackets first makes it 48/2(12)

Next, division. 48/2 = 24

24(12)= 288

That's just my two cents though. I'm sure I made a mistake in there somewhere.

Its 288.

Do it in order of BODMAS.

Brackets Order Division Multiplication Addition Subtraction.

I learned three of them over my time in school BOMDAS, BIMDAS & BIRDMAS they stood for: Brackets Of/Indexes Multiplacation Division Addition Subtraction, and BIRDMAS stood for Brackets Indexes Routes Division Multiplacation Addition Subtraction as for the equation the answer is 288

There's different variations, the most important thing is that brackets go first.

 

[SovietSecrets]

I was taught that Multiplication is the first thing to be done so for me it would be 2. 288 goes too I suppose.

 

[Thunderios]

PEMDAS

Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.

It's Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication&Division, Addition&Subtraction.
The difference is that M&D (and A&D) belong together, you have to do them at the same time (then the order becomes from left to right).

 

[MurderousToaster]

Wasn't there a thread about this a really, really short while ago?

I mean, the exact same thing?

 

[Eumersian]

PEMDAS

Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.

It's Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication&Division, Addition&Subtraction.
The difference is that M&D (and A&D) belong together, you have to do them at the same time (then the order becomes from left to right).

Yeah, I'm not good at math.