48/2(9+3)=??

[genefoley]

I've seen this on other boards and it sparks some pretty hilarous debate. What's the answer?

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

2



PEMDAS



What's so hard about this?



48/2(9+3)=??



9+3=12

2x12=24

48/24=2



Depending on how it's written it could also be 288 which is why this circular logic is dumb.

 

[genefoley]

never said it was hard...



in fact its really easy but it sparks hilarious debate



won't say if you're right or wrong stu

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

never said it was hard...



in fact its really easy but it sparks hilarious debate



won't say if you're right or wrong stu

Well it's 288 if it's written as 48÷2(9+3), which it's not. Both 288 and 2 are correct answers due to how poorly the equation is written.

 

[genefoley]

Well it's 288 if it's written as 48÷2(9+3), which it's not. Both 288 and 2 are correct answers due to how poorly the equation is written.

it doesn't matter how its written. the answer is still same because of pemdas.



this statement is not written as "48 over 2 times 9 plus 3". if that helps--its not a quotient.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

it doesn't matter how its written. the answer is still same because of pemdas.



this statement is not written as "48 over 2 times 9 plus 3". if that helps--its not a quotient.

Well parentheses have to be done first and 2(9+3) is considered the parenthetical statement or whatever it's called. That parentheses comes out to 24 and 48/24 = 2.

 

[roshinaya]

Parenthesis first, then left to right and it's 288. This is the fourth board I visit that this problem pops up.

 

[genefoley]

Parenthesis first, then left to right and it's 288. This is the fourth board I visit that this problem pops up.

lol same here; it's an internet sensation.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

math is *** anyways

 

[bri]

You know I am no math magician. I hate anything to do with math.

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

The whole problem, and subsequent debate, with the statement and the resultant is the context inwhich it is to be processed.



It is 288. But I would bet that 20 years ago your arthmetic teacher would never post that equation on one line without a X between the 2 and (9+3). This is all a play in how arithmetic statements have changed due to modern computers (mathematicians were called computers before computers as we know it existed).



Now even with using "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally", you can generally ignore unembedded parenthesis to the far right until the direct left of it is to be processed.



Properly it should be written as 48/2 x (9+3) to put it into the proper context, and thus killing the debate. But that would be no fun.



And finally this, or something similar, was a common problem presented when learning Reverse Polish Notation and why it is very important to a computer processing statements like this. Which just might be where this has originated from.





Oh yea, my Math degree finally put to some use! Thank you taxpayers for that education

 

[roshinaya]

It's interesting that even calculators can give either 2 or 288 depending on how it was programmed to interpret it.

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

It's interesting that even calculators can give either 2 or 288 depending on how it was programmed to interpret it.

Yup that is why I stated that the lack of context for processing is what generates this debate.

 

[bri]

I may not be a math wiz, but I'm smart enough to know the oil companies are royally fucking me every time I go to the gas station. It was up to $3.95 when i went by today.

 

[howcho]

I could not take the time to read anyones reasonings. The answer from view is definitely 2.

 

[howcho]

I may not be a math wiz, but I'm smart enough to know the oil companies are royally fucking me every time I go to the gas station. It was up to $3.95 when i went by today.

Gasoline is about 1.17 per liter right now in Vancouver area, likey more where TCD lives as he has an extra tax.



1.17 x 3.78541 to convert into US Gallons gives us a price of $4.428/gal Yikes!!



Buy more Tarsands Oil Please America!!!

 

[roshinaya]

Here it's around 8.5 USD/gallon, so yanks crying about 4 bux a gallon is amusing. But then again, I don't use a car so no biggie and here we also have working collective traffic.

 

[howcho]

Where are you and what is working collective traffic?

 

[PatrickSharpRules]

I. Fucking. Hate. Math.



Remember in Calculous, when I got an answer wrong that was, "no real answer". Then who gives a **** what the number is if there is no real answer?

 

[roshinaya]

Where are you and what is working collective traffic?

Finland. And working collective traffic means that I can get pretty much wherever I want taking a bus or a train. And I don't mind walking a bit either.