Poll: What is the answer to 48/2(9+3)?

[zombie711]

2, and please just do you home work

 

[Enrathi]

As written the question is ambiguous and yes, in this case math is subjective. The rules of math are not, but the writing and interpretation of the formula are.

Actually i'd put it more like "math is not subjective, but how you write it is because writing employs arbitrary rules (which doesn't mean they're random)".


Just look at all the people that where talking about the left to right rule... 48*(1/2)*12 can be done 24*12 or 48*6... actual math rules cannot be broken like that.

Fair enough and I agree. But I'll leave my original post alone cause it gets my point across well enough. Plus then your quote wouldn't make sense anymore.

 

[dsmops2003]

The correct answer to 48/2(9+3) is 288.
To satisfy the answer of 2 the formula would be (48/(2(9+3)))

I just won a math.

 

[matt87_50]

the lack of a multiplication sign gives the multiplication higher precedence over the divide operator. this is the ONLY reason the multiplication has higher precedence over divide... none of this PEMDAS BS! divide and multiply have the same priority, its just left to right, except in the case where the multiplication is done here, with at least one of the operands starting with a non digit ( parenthesis or variable) and no multiplication sign between them.

the trick is... what does the '/' symbol mean? is it "48 divided by 2(9+3)" or "the fraction 48/2 by (9+3)"

the problem is, for it to be the last one, you usually have to express the fraction with a horizontal bar and the numerator directly over the top of the denominator. unfortunately, there is no real way to do this with a keyboard... so it can get ambiguous, and both answers could be right.

on my graphics calculator, it has two symbols, for both expressing a fraction, and a divide operator... but the classic '2 dots with a horizontal bar between them' symbol, and the default symbol, is the DIVIDE operator, the operator for expressing a fraction is a secondary option.

as such, I'm inclined to view the '/' as a divide operator.

so the answer is 2

 

[c_westerman13]

BIDMAS.
Brackets first, so 48/2*12
48/24
2

if it were a divide sign, rather than being written as a fraction, there would be more ambiguity, but being a fraction, the bottom should be resolved to leave one number over another

why is this question so popular today?

 

[Hatchet90]

People look at it like this and TELL ME it's not 2.

48
------
2(9+3)

The answer is 2 plain and simple, it is, however, very poorly written.

Edit:
Hmm, here's a guy taking Applied Calc. and is unable to correctly solve a 7th Grade problem.
It could be 288...
It could be written out like so;

48
---- x (9+3)
2

When i put it in my calculator I got 2. This is a troll thread people. The fact of the matter is that it could go either way depending on the way you look at it. If the equation was properly written in a Math textbook, this wouldn't cause controversy.
Curse you Internet!

I'm sticking with 2

 

[DwMrDw]

This really is not that hard you guys.
48/2(9+3)= 288 (1)
48/(2(9+3)) = 2 (2)
so 288 is correct and 2 isn't
(1)
48
-- (9+3) =
2

24(12) =
24 * 12 = 288
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2)
48
-- =
2 (9+3)

48
-- =
2* 12

48
-- = 2
24

Greetings from Holland!!

 

[mps4li3n]

What are you multiplying by the bracket?

The bracket is there to make it clear 1/2 is 0.5....

Both answers are correct, it depends on how you look at it.

Tell that to a math teacher...the answer is 288. The parentheses are not done first because the 2 is not in them. Therefore, you MUST do 48/2 first because you do multiplication and division first from left to right then add/subtract.

Except that the only reason you assume the 2(9+3) is not the subscript is because you're used to representing it like that as that's the way a computer does it... but the slash isn't even the right symbol for division if you ignore that it's used like that by enough people to make it right because the lack of the actual one on keyboards.

 

[bob1052]

the lack of a multiplication sign gives the multiplication higher precedence over the divide operator. this is the ONLY reason the multiplication has higher precedence over divide... none of this PEMDAS BS! divide and multiply have the same priority, its just left to right, except in the case where the multiplication is done here, with at least one of the operands starting with a non digit ( parenthesis or variable) and no multiplication sign between them.

Implied multiplication is still multiplication and does not gain higher precedence.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Factoring and the order of operations leaves me with the following:

48 * 1/2 * (12)

(Commutative Property)
Answer: 288

NOTE: As written, you cannot arbitrarily put 2(9+3) into the denominator. Why? Order of operations (resolve left to right). Parentheses matter.
If it's an attempt at being ambiguous due to formatting, it fails.

 

[mps4li3n]

The correct answer to 48/2(9+3) is 288.
To satisfy the answer of 2 the formula would be (48/(2(9+3)))

I just won a math.

Except you put pointless extra brackets around the whole thing.

 

[mps4li3n]

As written, you cannot arbitrarily put 2(9+3) into the denominator. Why? Order of operations (resolve left to right). Parentheses matter.

Except that not really a math rule, but a symbol spelling one... one which isn't as universally recognized as everyone seems to think.

 

[Kargathia]

Sooooo.... If I understand this mind-boggling problem correctly then we have a rather simple mathematical problem that features two aspects that are open to interpretation.

1. Do multiplication and dividing have the same priority, and should one simply read the problem from left to right at that point?

2. Is 48/2 an indication of 48 being divided by 2, or is it a fraction?

The first question has a straight and simple answer, the second question is slightly subjective, but I seem to vaguely remember that one always should simplify their fractions, and that'd end up as 12 anyway.

And now I have a question of my own, for which I don't exactly see the answer as easily.

Why are there Fifteen pages of discussion on this?

 

[Atmos Duality]

As written, you cannot arbitrarily put 2(9+3) into the denominator. Why? Order of operations (resolve left to right). Parentheses matter.

Except that not really a math rule, but a symbol spelling one... one which isn't as universally recognized as everyone seems to think.

Additional parentheses are needed to place 2(9+3) into the denominator as written (horizontal formats are ambiguous). Every algebra book will tell you that. Every math instructor will tell you that.
Math is not interpretative.

 

[Joseph Webb]

You guys must not have taken a math class above pre-algebra. I'll break the problem down for you. 48 divided by 2 multiplied by the sum of 9 plus 3. First, you have to add 9 and 3, as implied by the parentheses. Now, you have 48 divided by 2 multiplied by 12. This is where you all get flustered. You all seem to have forgotten that you generally don't trust your calculator when it comes to questions like these. The one thing I learned from calc is that you do math by hand if you're ever confused. The problem, at this point, looks like this -
48
---
2(12)
Which is not a fraction in its simplest form, you still have another step to do before you reduce (that is, multiplying 2 and 12). It is NOT
48
--- * 12
2
If the second problem were the case, the original problem would have read (48/2)(9+3). There's no two bits about it. You need to take a refresher course in algebra if you think the answer is anything but 2. Technology fails this question, because it is poorly phrased. It can't understand what you're trying to say without including additional parentheses - every math teacher/good math student will know this, and will take advantage of this. You guys just missed out on a few points on the test.

 

[Beryl77]

Both answers are correct, it depends on how you look at it.

Tell that to a math teacher...the answer is 288. The parentheses are not done first because the 2 is not in them. Therefore, you MUST do 48/2 first because you do multiplication and division first from left to right then add/subtract.

Like I said it depends on you write it, you could also write it like this:

48
---
2(9+3)

Then the answer would be 2.

 

[No_Remainders]

I guess it depends if it's (48/2)(9+3) or 48/2(9+3)

They're two different things.

 

[Joseph Webb]

Both answers are correct, it depends on how you look at it.

Tell that to a math teacher...the answer is 288. The parentheses are not done first because the 2 is not in them. Therefore, you MUST do 48/2 first because you do multiplication and division first from left to right then add/subtract.

Like I said it depends on you write it, you could also write it like this:

48
---
2(9+3)

Then the answer would be 2.

That is how it is always written. Whenever you see a division symbol, it means that it is a fraction. This should have been one of the first things you learned in algebra (if not algebra 2).

 

[AngryMongoose]

I'm assuming that's 48/(2(9+3)) [=2] and not (48/2)(9+3) [=288], since otherwise it's a REALLY stupid way of writing it, rather than just a stupid way.