48÷2(9+3) =

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48÷2(9+3) =

  • ?

  • 288

  • 2


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DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
166
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
Geeks would say 288 and laugh at people who answered 2.

People who deal with real problems in real world know writing equation that way is dumb and simply asking for trouble.
Well, since someone let the cat out of the bag and necroed the thread, I'm going to point out again, equations have those funny little symbols in them... two parallel lines above one another, something like this: =
So, yes, it's dumb to write an equation without an equals sign. :p

And, while Zeze is more or less correct, I'll point out again that any mathematician worth anything would not, as rchiu has said, write an expression as ambiguously as that one. Zeze and others don't seem to think it's ambiguous. Once again, implied multiplication is often given priority over other multiplication and division. E.g., 4x^3/2x^2 is generally evaluated to be 2x, not 2x^5 as an anal attentive fixation to BEDMAS or PEMDAS would result in. The 2 in front of the parenthesis is an implied multiplication. I wouldn't begrudge anyone who wanted to interpret that expression as meaning the 2 should be multiplied by the 12 before the division.
 

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,389
1,778
126
206483_1776491504605_1608886476_1688467_6580770_n.jpg



(Just remember, Matt Damon can barely say his own name in Team America...he may not be the best tutor when it comes to 4th grade mathematics.)
 

Bubbleawsome

Diamond Member
Apr 14, 2013
4,834
1,204
146
I say it goes like this
48÷2(9+3)
48÷2(12)
48÷24
2
Because that's how I was taught order of operations, I asked my current math teacher and she agreed because a number directly next to another number in parentheses should be multiplied first.
But, OoO also works like this;
48÷2(9+3)
48÷2(12)
24(12)
288

However, Wolfram|Alpha (the best thing ever) says 288, by making it one huge fraction
(48*(9+3))÷2
(48*12)÷2
576÷2
288

I personally think 2 is the correct answer, though both are actually correct.
 
Last edited:

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
68,415
12,593
126
www.anyf.ca
I'm not good at math, but I'm going to say 2.

I consider the 2(9+3) is a single variable. So solve that first, which comes up to 24. Not sure if that is right way of thinking though.
 
Sep 29, 2004
18,656
67
91
Bubble,

Your math teacher said that? You should transfer schools. Multiply and divide have equal precedence so the operations then go left to right.

THERE IS NO DEBATE HERE!
 
Last edited:

biostud

Lifer
Feb 27, 2003
18,647
5,365
136
Since multiply and division are side ordered you go left to right, so 288 is the correct answer.
 

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
136
I say it goes like this
48÷2(9+3)
48÷2(12)
48÷24
2
Because that's how I was taught order of operations,

Parentheses

Exponents

Multiplication and Division

Addition and Subtraction

Multiplication doesn't get any kind of priority over division.
Addition doesn't get any kind of priority over subtraction.

When you have to decide whether to multiply first or divide first, evaluate from left to right.

When you have to decide whether to add first or subtract first, evaluate from left to right.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,004
5,892
126
I say it goes like this
48÷2(9+3)
48÷2(12)
48÷24
2
Because that's how I was taught order of operations, I asked my current math teacher and she agreed because a number directly next to another number in parentheses should be multiplied first.
But, OoO also works like this;
48÷2(9+3)
48÷2(12)
24(12)
288

However, Wolfram|Alpha (the best thing ever) says 288, by making it one huge fraction
(48*(9+3))÷2
(48*12)÷2
576÷2
288

I personally think 2 is the correct answer, though both are actually correct.

you should find a new school.
 

Dr. Zaus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2008
11,764
347
126
^ a variable next to a number implies the number will be multiple by the value of the variable.
Out of curiosity then, what's 8x/4x when x=7?
/devil's advocate

98

Again, the answer to the top question is 288

I know both of these because I put the full equation into excel

And excel is the definition of math.
 

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
14,665
440
126
Out of curiosity then, what's 8x/4x when x=7?
/devil's advocate

When dealing with equations like this, you solve for the equation, THEN solve for X. The answer is

8x/4x = 2

The reason for 2 is because you are dealing with term math first before trying to resolve x. In this case the terms drop out the X and it doesn't matter what X was. However...

If you are given the equation of
8(7)/4(7)

Then you solve in order of operations which is 98. The operation for resolving variables is always last in the previous equation with X for a reason. With this second equation you can't just drop out the 7's and must solve from left to right in order of operations.

There is no devil's advocation here to this old problem. This is why the answer is 288 here for which I explained all those years ago.

48÷2(9+3) = 288
(48÷2x where x = 9+3) = 2

The resolution of X in this case is the last order of operation. Which is where the confusion of multiplicative association when it comes to algebraic terms confuses people. Because 2x is the term, you can't initially resolve you are left with 48 OVER 2x as your resolution before the insertion of X's value.

But LOL on the thread necro.

Edit fix a goof on my part for the term math explanation.
 
Last edited:

glenn1

Lifer
Sep 6, 2000
25,383
1,013
126
When dealing with equations like this, you solve for the equation, THEN solve for X. The answer is

8x/4x = 2x

Then you solve for x which if given to be 7 becomes 2(7) = 14.

If you are given the equation of
8(7)/4(7)

Then you solve in order of operations which is 98. The operation for resolving variables is always LAST. This is because in equation where you have stuff like 2x that is a specific term unto itself, not a multiplication operation yet. The term is (2x) not 2(x) because you can't actually use x to multiply by yet.

There is no devil's advocation here to this old problem. This is why the answer is 288 here for which I explained all those years ago.

48÷2(9+3) = 288
(48÷2x where x = 9+3) = 2

The resolution of X in this case is the last order of operation. Which is where the confusion of multiplicative association when it comes to algebraic terms confuses people. Because 2x is the term, you can't initially resolve you are left with 48 OVER 2x as your resolution before the insertion of X's value.

But LOL on the thread necro.

Algebra is easy.

latest
 

Matthiasa

Diamond Member
May 4, 2009
5,755
23
81
Bubble,

Your math teacher said that? You should transfer schools. Multiply and divide have equal precedence so the operations then go left to right.

THERE IS NO DEBATE HERE!

The one who necroed this provided a link to Berkeley...

You are very clearly wrong...