48÷2(9+3) =

[Locut0s]

to be fair, if you are a math major and don't know the order of basic operations, you are a complete and total failure.

Not that they should but actually I would not be at all surprised if many a math major would be tripped up by that question. Math majors and even profs don't usually deal with order of operations very often. You are taught this in grade 5 or 6 and basically never have to rely on the order of operation rules to figure out this kind of slightly ambiguous question. Equations written out, be it by hand or in a computer, would always been written less ambiguously than that. It's comp sci people who live and die by the order of operations and have this kind of thing nailed into their heads day in and day out. I didn't get this at first but then I have been out of practice for about 5 years now, rally need to get back to my school work

 

[nonameo]

Well that would have kind of ruined it.

Well, look at this:

48/2(9+3)
vs
48÷2(9+3)

also note that the op (or whoever made it up) used the ÷ symbol pretty deliberately. It's not on a standard keyboard, which has / instead. I don't think that anyone in this thread actually did a "deerrrr fuck I don't know order of operations!!!" instead, people make assumptions based on regularly encountered patterns. People casually look, assume, and I'm sure if you had asked any one of the people that answered 2 what the order of operations was, he/she would have answered you correctly(or at least most of the time)

The question is meant to mislead. Good to catch, but not worth making any judgments on anyone's intelligence about it.

 

[Matt915]

son of a ....I clicked 288 before reading it thoroughly. It's 2.

 

[amdhunter]

42

 

[The Boston Dangler]

son of a ....I clicked 288 before reading it thoroughly. It's 2.

oh jesus

 

[schneiderguy]

son of a ....I clicked 288 before reading it thoroughly. It's 2.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

is that anything like implied parentheses?

 

[spidey07]

48/2(9+X) = 2

Solve for X
48/(18+2x) = 2
48 =2(18+2x)
48=36+4x
12=4x
x=3

I can see how it could go either way and is really poorly written.

 

[Cattlegod]

Wow I can't believe that many people voted for 2. Makes me think twice about asking for advice on atot.

 

[RapidSnail]

I only assume grouping of terms in the denominator if the terms are enclosed for the divisor.

48/(2(9+3)) = 2
48/2(9+3) = 288

 

[zokudu]

Answer is 288. If you had a variable you could make the argument for the distributive property but because you can solve inside the parenthesis then you don't even need the property. Once you solve (9+3) = (12) theres nothing to distribute it just becomes a multiplication which you do left to right division and multiplication equal.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

48/2(9+X) = 2

Solve for X
48/(18+2x) = 2
48 =2(18+2x)
48=36+4x
12=4x
x=3

I can see how it could go either way and is really poorly written.

no, it only goes one way, and is written fine. you are wrong and can't admit it.

 

[RapidSnail]

Actually, wouldn't it be

(9+3) = 12
48*12 = 576
576/2 = 288

since you're supposed to do what inside the parentheses first?

I doesn't matter because the fractional line is a grouping symbol considered part of "brackets".

 

[spidey07]

no, it only goes one way, and is written fine. you are wrong and can't admit it.

Point out where I was wrong in my algebra then.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Point out where I was wrong in my algebra then.

i don't give a damn about your algebra. this whole thread points out where you're wrong about the original problem.

 

[spidey07]

Wife has a math degree. She says 2. The brackets are implied around 2(9+3) because of distributive property. It is to be treated as a single term [2(9+3)]

 

[Anubis]

how the FUCK did 69 people mess up 24*(9+3)?

 

[zokudu]

Wife has a math degree. She says 2. The brackets are implied around 2(9+3) because of distributive property. It is to be treated as a single term [2(9+3)]

It doesn't count as the distributive property because the distributive law is used to remove grouping symbols which is not required because you can solve 9+3 leaving 48 / 2 * 12. Theres no grouping symbols left and if you go left to right its 24 * 12 = 288

 

[Regs]

We will never cure cancer at this rate.

 

[OCGuy]

Holy shit can I change my answer to 2?

 

[TecHNooB]

We will never cure cancer at this rate.

you sure put a lot of faith in atot b4 this question

 

[IronWing]

Two

 

[spidey07]

It doesn't count as the distributive property because the distributive law is used to remove grouping symbols which is not required because you can solve 9+3 leaving 48 / 2 * 12. Theres no grouping symbols left and if you go left to right its 24 * 12 = 288

Everything to the right of the division symbol is considered the denominator. I see where all the wrong people are coming from, but that just isn't the case. I showed how and why in simple algebra.

 

[BrokenVisage]

Let's solve this logically people... first to 100 votes is the right answer!

 

[Regs]

you sure put a lot of faith in atot b4 this question

Impossible! (ATOT does not believe in faith) Like most believe that division some times does not depend on its application. I got math professors that believe 0's is not actually a number!

But I will just sit here and watch people bitch at each other in laughter.